Sparks Fly
by OMGitsEMILY
Summary: In-between-quel of "Fearless". Sort of a gift to my readers. A series of one shots that take place before/during/after the story. Full explanation inside.
1. Story Explanation

**Why, hello readers/reviewers of "Fearless"!**

**If you're here, I'm assuming you have read the last chapter of "Fearless." If you haven't, please do so now and then come back.**

**Okay, again, I would like to thank all of you! You have no idea how much your support means to me.**

**So, I'm attempting to show you!**

**That's right!**

**This 'story' is an in-between-quel made up of a series of one-shots... one-shots requested by you!**

**Yep, you guys tell me what you want to read, and I'll write it.**

**I've also written a few of my own that I'll add in :D**

**I have to give credit to NeverTooLate03. This was her idea. Thank you so much, fellow fangirl!**

**So that's it! You guys leave comments requesting what you want, and I'll write it for you.**

**You can request as many things as you want, but I'm not guaranteeing I'll write ALL of them. I will write at least one for every reviewer though.**

**(Unless, for some reason, I disagree with all of your requests. But I don't anticipate that happening.)**

**Your ideas should be somehow related to the story - before, during, after.**

**Here are some ideas that NeverTooLate03 and I already came up with:**

**-Wedding/Honeymoon (has already been written and will be posted.)**

**-Background Stories from the Academy (how they all became friends, mischief they got into, etc.)**

**-Tabitha's Pregnancy (Yes, they're having kids! This has also already been written.)**

**There's some ideas to get you started. They can be about any of the characters, any part of the story (including the parts that are just mentioned, like the years at the academy, etc.).**

**This story is meant to be a sort of bridge between this and the sequel, so things that take place after the story (like the wedding, etc.) are welcome...**

**BUT if they don't work with what I'm planning for the sequel, I'll have to turn them down.  
**

**Oh! One more quick thing: the rating of this story will most likely change to 'M' because of a lemon scene that I have already written and am going to post.**

**HOWEVER, most of the chapters WILL NOT BE RATED 'M', and the chapters that are will be clearly labeled.**

**So if you don't want to read the... _more intense_ parts, don't worry. You'll be able to skip over them, no problem.**

**Alright, there you have it!**

**Requests are open!**

**Any questions, just ask!  
**


	2. I Love You, The Wedding

**Geez, sorry this took me forever. I was in my last week of high school, and now I'm at the beach, so I haven't had time to work on it.**

**I hope you guys all like it!**

* * *

"So can you believe that this time tomorrow you'll be Mrs. Hawkins?"

"I know," she sighed happily.

"Are you excited?"

"Yeah," Tabitha mumbled as she absentmindedly fiddled with Jim's fingers.

Jim looked down at her, but was unable to see her facial expression from where he was laying. "You don't sound very excited."

"I am," she insisted, turning to look at him. However, as soon as she finished, she bit her lip and turned her eyes away again.

Jim sighed and sat up. "Okay, what is it?"

"What is what?"

"You keep doing that! Every time I say anything about the wedding, you start acting nervous."

Tabitha blushed.

"See? You're blushing right now!"

"So?"

"So what is it?" he questioned. "Are you just excited, or are you nervous, or scared, or - "

"No, I'm not - " She sighed and sat up, too. "I'm not scared or anything."

"Are you... having doubts?"

Tabitha grabbed the pillow from behind her and hit him with it. "No, I'm not having doubts! Crazy..."

"Well, sorry," Jim replied, grabbing his own pillow and hitting her back. "I still can't believe I lucked out with someone like you."

"You're completely delusional," she rolled her eyes. "You could have any girl in the Etherium."

Jim laughed. "That's not true. I'd never had a girlfriend before I met you, remember?"

"Yeah, but you were only 15, a juvenile delinquent, you hadn't discovered Treasure Planet yet, and you hadn't graduated, with honors, from the most prestigious school around and earned the rank of captain at age 18."

Jim thought for a moment, then smirked. "Hmm, you're right. Maybe I should have tried out a few others before I decided to - Ow!"

Tabitha continued to hit Jim with the pillow. "Girls aren't solar surfers, Jim! You can't 'try us out'!"

"Hey, I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" Jim said, beginning to hit her back with his own pillow now. "Come on, it was a joke! Tabi - " When she still hadn't stopped hitting him, he managed to snatch the pillow from her and she squealed as he pinned her to the bed. Tabitha tried to feign anger that Jim was now laying on top of her, but it was obvious she was having trouble holding back laughter. Jim smirked. "I don't care who I could have had, I didn't want any of them. I want you, and I got you - that's what surprises me."

She smiled. "I'm kind of surprised, too."

Jim quickly kissed her. "You still didn't answer my question."

Tabitha blushed and Jim rolled off of her. "There you go again!" he said, propping his head up on his hand to face her. "What is it? What about the wedding has you so nervous?"

"No, it's not the wedding," she explained. "I mean, not the actual ceremony at least, but... what happens afterward..."

"The reception?"

Tabitha rolled her eyes. "Please tell me I'm not about to marry someone this daft."

Jim laughed. "The honeymoon? What happens _on_ the honeymoon?"

"Yes, _that_..."

"That's all?"

Tabitha started. "Well, yeah, but... I mean, that's... kind of a big deal..."

"Yeah, of course it is," Jim consoled as he wrapped her in a hug.

"So are you nervous?"

"Not really."

"Not at all?" Tabitha whispered in shock.

"Well, no, I'm..." Jim chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. "You know, I'm mostly just excited."

"Oh," Tabitha muttered, hanging her head.

He caressed her arm. "What is it you're worried about, anyway?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "I... I-I just... I'm..."

Jim frowned and looked at her seriously. "You should be able to talk to me about this. If we can't even talk about sex, then how do you expect us to have sex?"

"It isn't that I can't talk about it, I-I'm just not sure what to say." Her face flushed a deeper shade as she fell against him. "I-I guess I don't know what to expect."

"I don't either," he laughed.

"Isn't it kind of different, though?"

"Yeah, I guess," Jim agreed. "But it's still a new thing for both of us. Look, if you still don't want to when - "

"Oh, no! No, I'm not saying I don't want to! I - " She looked back up at him, flushing when she realized how enthusiastic she'd suddenly sounded. "I'm nervous, but I still really want to..."

Jim smirked. "Then if you're still this nervous when tomorrow night rolls around, we'll just wait. Okay?"

Tabitha's face lit up. "Really?"

"Yes, really."

"But doesn't everybody...?"

"It's assumed everyone does, but that doesn't mean we have to."

"So you really don't mind waiting?" she tested.

"No, of course not," he said sincerely.

Tabitha grinned and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

Jim laughed and hugged her. "Did you think I was going to refuse? Come on, you know I wouldn't make you uncomfortable like that."

"No, I didn't think that, but... I-I thought you'd be upset, or disappointed, or... something."

Jim sighed and moved back slightly to look into her eyes."Look, Tabitha... I'd be lying if I said I'm not looking forward to making love with you." Her cheeks went rosy again and he chuckled. "I love you, and you're beautiful, but if you're not ready, it's not going to be worth it. We'll take it slow, and if you want to stop, we'll stop. I'm not going to force you just because we're married, no matter how eager I am. We've got the rest of our lives; there's no rush."

"I love you so much," she said as she threw her arms around his neck.

Jim returned the hug. "I love you, too."

"I can't believe how _I_ get to have _you_."

"Yeah, I guess you got lucky," he teased. She started to smack him with the pillow again, but he stopped her by pulling her lips to his. "You know," he whispered after a moment of intense kissing. "If you're really anxious, we could always practice tonight."

"Ha-ha. Very funny," she said sarcastically, pulling him back to her.

There was a knock at the door. "Jim? Tabitha? Can we come in?"

"Sure, mom," Jim replied, separating from Tabitha.

The door swung open and Sarah and Abigail both entered. "Okay, kids, time to separate," Sarah said.

"What?" the couple said in unison.

"Well you can't very well wake up in the same bed on your wedding day!" Abigail stated. "The groom isn't supposed to see the bride before the wedding."

"What?" Tabitha asked. "Says who?"

"It's tradition, dear," Abigail laughed.

Sarah smiled. "That's right. Come on, Tabitha."

"Aw, mom! Why can't she stay? That's just a stupid superstition," Jim complained.

"It's only one night, Jim!" Sarah laughed.

"Yeah, but - " he began.

"I don't want to - " she started.

"Can't we just - "

"It isn't - "

Both mothers placed their hands firmly on their hips and the two kids sighed. "Fine. I'm coming," Tabitha sighed in disappointment as she stood up.

"Wait," Jim said, grabbing her hand. "Can we have just a minute alone before she leaves?"

The mothers each raised an eyebrow, then turned to look at each other. Abigail sighed. "I suppose. But only a minute! You both need your sleep."

"Okay, thanks."

The door shut, leaving the couple alone once again. "Why did you want - " Her inquiry was abruptly interrupted when Jim placed his hands on the sides of her face and pulled her into a kiss.

Jim grinned as they pulled apart. "I can't tell you how excited I am about tomorrow. All of it, not just the honeymoon." He summed it all up with a quick kiss. "I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

Tabitha's eyes sparkled as she bit her lip to hold back a huge smile. Unable to think of anything to say, she threw her arms around his neck. He returned her embrace, holding her tightly against him.

He placed one last soft kiss on her forehead. "Good night."

"Good night." She walked to the door, then turned back around. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

As Tabita left the room, Jim's mother entered. "How are you doing?"

He shrugged. "Excited. Kind of nervous."

"Completely normal," she smiled. "I'm so happy for you, Jim. You're going to be a wonderful husband to Tabitha, and one day, an amazing father."

Jim's smile faltered. "Wow."

"What is it?"

"Father," he repeated nervously. "That's just... weird."

"Well, there's no rush, but that is the next step."

"Yeah, I know, but... wow," he mumbled as he started to pace. "I hadn't really thought that far ahead. I mean, I have, but only hypothetically. The way you said it made it sound... real, and I'm not ready for that."

"You don't have to be. You've got plenty of time to think about that."

"Getting married this young is one thing, but being a parent? I mean, who wants to have a baby at this age?" Jim immediately froze and turned back to face his mother when he realized what he'd said. "Oh no. Oh, mom, I'm sorry; I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean - "

"Jim - " she said, holding his face with her hands so that he was looking into her eyes. "I know exactly what you meant. It's true - having a baby as young as I did was not the ideal situation, but I wouldn't trade it for anything, because then I wouldn't have you. Don't worry. You and Tabita are nothing like Leland and I. First of all, you're doing things in the right order - marriage, then pregnancy. And second, you two have something we never had. You two were made for each other, and no matter when you have children, you'll both make great parents."

Jim sighed. "Okay, thanks. But I'm still sor - "

Sarah held up a finger to stop him. "Don't apologize." She reached up and gently kissed his forehead. "Now, go to bed. You need your rest."

Even after Jim was alone in the quiet bedroom, he continued to grin like a fool. He laughed at himself and ran his fingers through his hair as he changed into pajamas and laid down in bed. His mind, of course, drifted off to thoughts of tomorrow. He could feel the adrenaline pulsing through his veins as he thought about it, and became certain that he would never be happier. What could possibly make him happier than marrying Tabitha though? _Being a father_, his mind quickly answered. But it would be a while before he had to think about that. For now, it was only him and Tabitha. No rules, no restraints, no boundaries. Just the two of them, young and in love.

* * *

**The next day...**

"I want the blue!"

"No! Blue is mine! Yours are pink!"

"No, I want the pink! She can have yellow!"

"I don't want stupid yellow!"

"Hey, hey, what's going on here?" Jim broke up the argument between the Doppler girls as he knelt down to their level.

"Uncle Jimmy, I want the blue flowers but she won't give them to me!" Danielle whined.

"Because then I would end up with pink and I want yellow flowers!" Marianne responded.

"No, the yellow are mine!" Alison said as she snatched the basket of yellow flowers from Danielle. Danielle looked up at her sister, then her eyes started to tear up as she began to whimper.

"Wait, wait, wait! It's okay, don't cry!" Jim intervened to stop the fit before it could start. He stared at the girls in their frilly dresses - Danielle in yellow, Marianne in pink, Alison in blue... there were three baskets of flowers, one carrying yellow petals, one pink, and one blue. "Oh, I see..."

He took the baskets from the girls and handed them back to them so that the flowers corresponded with the colors of the dresses.

"There," he smiled.

The girls looked down at their baskets, then at each other, then all started to cry.

"Oh no, wait, why are you crying?" Jim asked frantically.

"I don't want the blue flowers!" Alison whimpered. "I hate blue!"

"Ali, you're wearing blue," Jim explained. "I thought it was your favorite color."

She placed her hands haughtily on her hips."It's only my favorite color to _wear_ because it looks good on me. Duh."

"Then what _is_ your favorite color?" Jim asked in exasperation.

"Purple."

Jim resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "What about you, Mari? What's your favorite color?"

"Green..." she sniffled.

"Dani?"

"Orange."

Jim sighed. "Okay, new plan... raise your hand if you want the blue flowers."

All three girls raised their hands.

Jim eyed them confusedly, but didn't argue, lest they start crying again. "Raise your hand if you want pink flowers."

All three.

"Raise your hand if you want yellow flowers."

All three. Jim chuckled in amusement, then reached out and grabbed a handful of flowers from each basket and mixed them with the other two so that each basket had all three colors.

"Hey!" The girls squealed in unison.

"There. Problem solved," Jim said proudly.

"Oh..." the girls said as they looked down at their baskets, then grinned ecstatically as they bombarded Jim with hugs. "Thank you, Uncle Jimmy!"

Jim laughed and hugged all three of them at once. "No problem, girls."

"Well handled, Jim m'boy," Dr. Doppler chuckled as he entered the room.

Jim laughed and stood up just as Benedict, fully dressed in a tux and bow tie, walked in, pulling at his collar. "I hate this thing! Dad, why do I have to wear this?"

"Hey, it's not just you. Everyone has to dress up," Jim chuckled.

"Then why aren't you, Uncle Jimmy?" Benedict asked skeptically.

"Yes, Mr. Hawkins," Captain Amelia addressed as she entered the room. "Would you care to explain why you are still wearing your everyday clothing?"

"I'm going, I'm going," he laughed and put his hands up in a surrendering gesture. "Come on, Beni. You can come hang out with me."

As the boys started to leave the room, they had time to hear Dr. Doppler address his daughters.

"Okay, girls, time to get your ribbons and - "

"Ooh! I want the pink one!"

"No the pink one's mine! You can have blue!"

"But I want blue!"

Jim looked down at Benedict. "Girls, huh?"

Benedict looked up at him and shook his head seriously. "You don't know the half of it."

Jim ruffled the boys hair and laughed heartily as they left the room, and the squealing girls, behind.

* * *

Tabitha stood in front of the mirror smoothing the fabric of her dress and turning around to view it from every angle. It was ivory colored, and flowed loosely over her while sleeves stayed perched on the very edge of her shoulders. She'd opted for no makeup & nothing elaborate done to her hair, much to the dismay of Rylee, but Tabitha wanted to be herself, and herself was a girl with wavy shoulder length hair and no makeup.

Of course, herself was also a girl that didn't wear dresses, and yet she was thrilled about her wedding dress. Tabitha had no idea why she was so thrilled with it... maybe it was just what the dress represented - that she and Jim would be spending the rest of their lives together. Whatever it was, she was beyond excited about it and couldn't help but to laugh a little as she spun around in front of the mirror like a little girl playing dress up, until a knock on the door interrupted her.

"Come in," Tabitha answered as she stopped spinning and tried to act a bit more natural.

"Tabitha," Abigail scolded as she entered the room. "You should at least ask who it is before just saying come in! What if it had been Jim?"

"I wish it had been Jim," Tabitha mumbled to herself.

"I heard that," Abigail replied. "Tabitha, it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding."

"Come on, you know we don't believe in superstitions like that," Tabitha laughed.

Abigail smiled. "You look beautiful."

"You're changing the subject, but thanks," she smiled as she looked down at the dress once again.

"Would you like me to help you with your veil?" Tabitha nodded, and Abigail lifted the veil off the bed and started to position in on Tabitha's head. It was the same veil Abigail had warn in her wedding to Silver. "This is your something borrowed, correct?"

"Yes."

"What about your something new?"

"The dress."

"Something old?"

"The necklace belonged to Jim's grandmother," she said, lightly fingering the simple pearl necklace.

"Something blue?"

Tabitha pointed to the small blue stone on her ring.

"Well, I guess you're ready then," Abigail laughed as she finished with the veil.

Tabitha looked at the reflection of the completed look in the mirror and felt her heart skip a few beats.

"Okay, well, I just wanted to make sure you're ready, dear. I'm going to go check on the rest of the wedding party," her mother-in-law said. She bit her lip, trying to hold back tears, but quickly gave in. "Oh, Tabitha, you look so beautiful! I'm so happy for you."

Tabitha grinned and embraced her. "Thank you, mom."

"Oh, don't call me that right now," she laughed, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. "You know that always gets to me." Abigail took a deep breath. "Right, well... Silver will come get you soon."

As Abigail left the room, Tabitha sat down on the bed. That jumpy feeling she'd gotten a moment ago hadn't gone away yet. She'd been getting it on and off since the day Jim proposed, but now it wasn't abating. She felt the adrenaline start to course through her body and she started to feel pleasantly light-headed.

* * *

Jim, now fully dressed in his uniform, sat on the edge of his bed, his leg bouncing up and down a mile a minute. The only other times he'd ever been this happy and this nervous at the same time also revolved around Tabitha: the first time he'd kissed, the first time he'd told her he was in love with her, when he proposed...

"Uncle Jimmy, are you nervous?" Benedict asked.

"Hmm? Oh, um," Jim said distractedly. "Just anxious."

"What does ank... ang... anz... whatever you said mean?"

"It means, um... nervous," Jim laughed at his lack of a better definition.

"Oh. Why are you... that?"

"I'm not sure, Benny," Jim said honestly as he walked over to the mirror to adjust his clothes... again.

Benedict adopted a philosophical stance to observe Jim and thought for a moment. "I think I know why."

"Oh, yeah?" Jim asked the boy. "Why?"

"Because you're going to have to spend the rest of your life with a girl!" he said matter of factly.

Jim chuckled. In a way, he was right - it was the fact that he would be spending _the rest of his life_ with a girl. But not just any girl, another part of his mind reminded him. The girl was Tabitha.

"But you don't know how lucky you are," Benedict said as he drug up a chair and stood on it so he was almost the same height as Jim.

"Alright, why am I lucky?"

"Well, at least it's only one girl. I got stuck with three," Benedict complained.

Jim laughed. "In the future, you probably won't mind if you get stuck with three girls."

"Ew, yes I will! Who wants to be stuck with three? And anyway, Tabitha's pretty."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, don't you?" Benedict asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I do," he smiled.

"See? Not only do you only have to spend your life with just one girl instead of three, but you think she's pretty, too. You've got it made, Uncle Jimmy."

Jim burst into another fit of laughter just as there was a knock at the door. Benedict rushed over to get it. "Hey, Silver!"

"Hey, Benny! Whatcha doin' in here wit' Jimbo?" Silver chuckled as he entered the room.

"He let me come up here so I didn't have to listen to girly stuff."

"Well that was nice o' him, but I t'ink yer pap's lookin' fer ya."

"Okay!" Benedict agreed. "Bye, Uncle Jimmy! Bye, Silver!"

"Bye," Jim smirked as the boy raced from the room.

Silver laughed. "Came t' see if ya needed a pep talk or t'e like."

"I think Benedict had me covered on that. Thanks, though," Jim said, rolling his shoulders to try to relax a little.

Silver surveyed the antsy young man. "Yer not gettin' cold feet are ya?"

Jim cast him a skeptical look. "There is no way in hell that's going to happen, and you know it."

"Well I's jus' checkin," he chuckled. "Don' be worried, Jimbo," Silver consoled as he placed a hand on the groom's shoulder.

"I'm not worried, I'm just..." he sighed. He couldn't describe this feeling in any terms he knew.

Silver chuckled. "Tha's how yer supposed t' feel, lad."

Jim laughed breathlessly as he ran his fingers through his hair. Once again, there was a knock at the door; this time Mrs. Hawkins walked in.

"Oh, Jim, you look so handsome," she said as she walked over and kissed his forehead.

"Thanks," he smiled and turned to observe himself in the mirror once more, adjusting his sleeves and the position of his jacket. "How's Tabitha?"

"She's ready, and she looks beautiful," his mother explained.

"Of course she does," Jim added quietly as he felt his pulse increase drastically. "Okay, so if she's ready, then I can go see her now," Jim said as he started towards the door, only to be grabbed by Silver.

"Not so fas', lad," he chuckled.

"You can't see her until the wedding!" his mother chastised.

"Oh, come on! It's close enough, and you know we don't believe - "

One look from his mother with her hands on her hips stopped him mid-sentence.

"Silver, you can go get Tabitha now," Mrs. Hawkins told him.

Silver nodded and left the room.

Mrs. Hawkins turned to her son, tears welling up in her eyes. "Oh, Jim..."

"Mom, don't cry," he consoled as he embraced her.

"You grew up so fast! I can't believe you're getting married today."

"Yeah, I can't either..." Jim murmured.

Mrs. Hawkins pulled back and looked up at her son. "Okay, that's enough tears for now." She took a deep breath and patted her eyes dry with a hankerchief. "Come on. Let's get you down stairs."

"I can go down by myself. Don't you need to check on the guests or the flower girls or something?"

"Nice try," she said as they exited the room. "But you're my son. I know what you're planning, and there is absolutely no way you're getting to see Tabitha before the wedding."

* * *

Another knock at the door arrived a few minutes later. "Tabby?"

This time, Tabitha opened the door instead of shouting for the person to come in. She was greeted, of course, by Silver, who, upon seeing her, started slightly in sheer surprise.

"Tabby..." he began in awe.

"I know. Me in a dress..." she laughed nervously.

"Ya look... ya look beautiful, lass."

She took a deep breath and released it slowly before turning to check her reflection in the mirror one more time.

"Ya all righ'?" he questioned as he noticed her slightly frantic movements.

"Mm-hmm. I'm fine," she said unconvincingly. "I'm just..."

When she too couldn't find words to describe how she felt, Silver laughed uproariously. "I'll tell ya exactly wha' I tol' Jimbo - tha's how yer s'posed t' feel."

"Right, like you had to tell Jim that," she scoffed. "I'm sure he's completely composed as usual."

"Well, yer wrong t'ere, lass," Silver told her. "His nerves were gettin' t' him, too."

This statement did little to reassure Tabitha; she still felt worried that perhaps her nerves were a little to strong. She couldn't remember ever feeling this... this....

"Ya ready?"

Tabitha took one more deep breath and nodded.

* * *

Downstairs, the watch over Jim had been shifted to Dr. Doppler, who was trying to pin a boutonniere onto Jim's lapel.

"Jim, I need you to stand still," Dr. Doppler said for the tenth time.

"I'm sorry, Doc, I just..."

Yet again, he could not finish his sentence.

* * *

Mrs. Hawkins was busy handing out bouquets to Rylee, the maid of honor, and Tabitha, and making sure the Doppler girls understood their job as flower girls.

"Tabitha!"

Tabitha jolted out of her thoughts and turned to face Rylee. "What?"

"Sorry. I was just going to remind you to hand your bouquet to me."

"Oh. Right."

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm fine. I just..."

Just...?

* * *

Finally, Jim had the flower pinned to his coat and was now just standing there waiting. He felt a small tug at the tail of his jacket.

"Uncle Jimmy, are you hot?" Benedict asked.

"Huh? What?"

"You keep wiping sweat off your forehead."

"Oh, no, I'm alright."

But he wasn't alright. He was sweating more than someone standing in the middle of an air conditioned room should be, significantly more actually.

* * *

"Tabby, are ya sure yer all righ', lass?" Silver asked, observing his daughter warily.

"Yes, dear. You're looking very pale," Abigail agreed.

"They're right. No offense, but you don't look so good," Rylee told her.

"No, I'm alright," she insisted.

But she wasn't. Her skin was clammy, and that pleasant, light-headed feeling had been replaced with full out dizziness that threatened to knock her off her feet.

* * *

"Jim?" Dr. Doppler hesitated.

"I... I'll be right back."

And with that, he flew out the door and around to the back of the house, away from the wedding...

* * *

"Tabitha, I think you should sit down," Mrs. Hawkins told her as she tried to direct her to a chair.

"No, I... I need to get some air."

With that, she bolted from the room and out the door to the back porch, heaving in deep breath's of air as she went...

* * *

Jim was leaning against the rail of the porch, still gulping in as much air as he could, when he heard footsteps running closer to where he was. He turned around to see Tabitha emerge from the other side of the house and run to the rail, much like he had.

"Tabitha?" he asked quietly.

"Jim..." she said in surprise.

They gawked, each taking in each others appearance. Slowly, they approached each other until they met at the halfway point on the deck.

If Jim had been sweating before, it was nothing compared to now. Tabitha looked completely stunning, like she was a dream. Any concerns he'd had were washed away by the very sight of her. Tabitha, too, was struggling with the sight of her fiance. She'd seen Jim in his uniform before, but he still looked as handsome as ever, and the look he was giving her was sending chills to her very core.

"You're mom's going to kill us," she whispered.

"It's worth it to see you," Jim laughed nervously. "I've been trying to since last night."

"Well, now you have," she smiled.

"Yeah... what are you doing out here?" Jim asked worriedly.

"Honestly?" she asked. "I'm freaking out."

"Oh, good," he said. "Me too."

They stared at each other and then laughed, and laughed, and laughed, as their nerves faded away to be replaced by sheer bliss. Now that they were back in each others presence, they knew there was no reason to be nervous.

"I love you," Jim told her.

"I love you, too," Tabitha replied through her laughter.

When they finally managed to get a hold of themselves, Jim reached out and grabbed her waist, pulling her flush against him. He was in the process of leaning down to kiss her when -

"Nice try, lad."

Silver put a hand on each of their shoulders and pulled them apart.

"Dad!" Tabitha whined.

"Don' take t'at tone wit' me, Tabitha," he said in mock anger.

"Silver, let go," Jim tried to sound serious, despite his laughter.

"Hang on t'ere, Jimbo," Silver laughed. "Ya can kiss her as much as ya want _after_ the weddin'. Ya can wait 'till t'en."

"I'm not so sure."

Tabitha smiled at Jim just as Mrs. Hawkins came around the corner, followed by Dr. Doppler, Abigail, Graham, and Rylee.

"Well, so much for keeping you two separated," she resigned.

Blushing slightly, Tabitha and Jim realized they were going to have to wait until after their vows were completed before they would be allowed to so much as hold hands with each other.

Graham shook his head at Jim as they walked back to the front of the house. "You just couldn't wait, could you?"

Jim shoved him playfully.

"That was so romantic!" Rylee told Tabitha.

Tabitha only smiled dreamily.

* * *

In the end, it didn't even matter that Jim had already seen her in her wedding dress - when he saw her walking down the aisle with Silver, he was stunned. How she still managed to have this kind of effect on him, he did not know, but he knew he loved it, just as much as, if not more than, everything else about her. Silver handed her off to Jim with a casual wink. Tabitha wore a shy smile that Jim countered with a huge grin. As they turned to face the priest, he reached down and grabbed her hand. He had no idea if this was traditional or appropriate, only that he had to. Tabitha apparently did too because she squeezed his hand tightly.

The entire thing was completely surreal. The vows they repeated from the preacher, the rings they slid on each other's fingers... it wasn't until Tabitha said 'I do' that Jim realized quite how real this was and couldn't stop the chuckle from downright shock that escaped him. Tabitha glanced over at him and giggled too, but they both manage to sober up when it was Jim's turn to speak.

"I do," he stated.

"Then, I now pronounce you man and wife," the priest smiled. "You may kiss the bride."

Tabitha and Jim turned to face each other, laughing once again. The kiss they shared was simple, sweet. As everyone applauded, Jim sighed happily and suddenly realized _how_ breathtaking Tabitha was - he couldn't remember breathing at all during the ceremony.

"I love you," she said.

"I know."

She gaped at him. "Cocky."

Jim smirked and began to move his hand around her waist to her back. Tabitha's gaze turned into a suspicious look as she recognized that playful spark in Jim's eye. Her eyes widened. "Don't you dare dip me, don't you dare dip me, don't you dare - "

But of course, Jim dipped her backwards and kissed her once again. Their audience cheered, and she tried to scowl, but she couldn't stop smiling.

He grinned. "I love you, too."

* * *

**If you're wondering about that scene between Jim and his mother, I read somewhere that Sarah and Leland got married really young because she got pregnant with Jim. I think it was in one of those official TP book things, but I'm not sure. So if I've got it wrong, I'm sorry, just go with it :) **

**And if you're wondering why the Doppler kids are suddenly so much older even though only a few months have passed, I figured since they're cats/dogs that they age quicker... Just go with that, too.**

**Okay, so I didn't actually involve their friends very much in this chapter, so sorry about that. I would have added more but I was getting frustrated and I thought you guys deserved a chapter. Don't worry though - you'll see them more in upcoming chapters. Not the next one, though, because that's the honeymoon ;) Yes, the next chapter will be the lemon chapter (OMG), so remember that THE STORY WILL BE MOVED TO THE RATED M CATEGORY. So don't freak out if you can't find it! Just click on my name, or search the rated M category, or sign up to be alerted when it's updated. And remember IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ THE LEMON, YOU WILLL STILL BE ABLE TO READ THE REST OF THE STORY. IT WILL BE CLEARLY LABELED AND EASY TO SKIP OVER.**

**So there you have it! I'll update as soon as I can. As always, I love comments :)**

**Oh! And you can still request things you want me to write about. Again, no guarentees that I will, but I will thoroughly consider it.**

**-Emily**

**Responses to Reviews:**

**Horseygirl 96: I loved that idea! I will definitely be writing that chapter at some point. Thanks for the comment :)**

**NeverTooLate03: I've got your ideas written down... somewhere. Lol I'll find them and write them. Don't worry.**

**SweetAngel183: I'm glad you loved the last chapter of 'Fearless'! As for your idea, you pretty much hit the nail on the head of what the sequel is going to be, so it will be a while before I write it. You'll just have to stick around to see it :) If you want to request something else for me to write in the mean time, go ahead.**

**ADangerousPastime: Thanks! I will definitely be writing more on Isabelle/Landon and Cason/Rylee.**

**anon: Haha I loved the ideas! I'll write them as soon I can :)**

**Kristy: YES! I loved that idea! Very creative. I've already written a little of it and I'll have it up soon enough. Thank you!**

**WingedGirl4life: I'm glad you loved 'Fearless'. If you've thought of anything you want to see since your last review, leave it in a review and I'll try to write it. Thanks!**


	3. You and I Tonight, The Honeymoon

**Oh sweet fancy Moses. I cannot believe I wrote this... A chapter with a lemon.**

**HUGE thank you to NeverTooLate03, who proofread it and assured me that "no awkward turtles were spotted." Thanks, girl!**

**Okay, so here's how this goes - most of the chapter is just general fluffy stuff. The lemon is marked by these:**

**+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+**

**+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+**

**THIS IS WHERE THE LEMON WOULD BE WRITTEN.  
**

**+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+**

**+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+**

**If you don't want to read the lemon, just don't read what's between those patterns.**

**This takes place the evening of the day they got married.  
**

**Oy vey. Here we go...**

**

* * *

**

"Okay, bye!"

"Bye!" Morph repeated, happily fluttering among the group gathered to see Tabitha and Jim off.

"Wait just a minute, Jim!" Sarah scolded as she hugged him and kissed his forehead.

Tabitha hugged Sarah, then Silver. "Bye, you guys. Thanks for everything!"

"Yer welcome, Tabby," Silver said, ruffling her hair.

"You kids have fun," Sarah added.

"I'm sure t'ey will," Silver chuckled with a wink.

"Sure t'ey will," Morph mocked Silver's actions.

Rylee pulled Tabitha to the side. "I added something extra to your suitcase."

"What?" Tabitha asked excitedly.

"I'm not telling..."

Tabitha's smile fell. "Do I want to know?"

Rylee giggled. "You'll see soon enough."

"Okay, bye!" Jim said again, pulling Tabitha towards the ship.

"Eager, Jim?" Graham teased.

"We're running late," Jim insisted, despite the fact he was blushing bright red.

Graham rolled his eyes. "Mm-hmm. Whatever you say..."

Jim scowled, but Tabitha simply laughed. "We really should be going."

"We'll see you soon!" Sarah waved as they headed towards the ship.

"See you soon!" Morph cried out as he started to follow Jim and Tabitha.

"Oh no you don't, you little squid," Jim said, grabbing Morph from the air. "You're staying here."

"Here?" Morph whimpered.

"Aw, we'll be back soon, Morph," Tabitha cooed.

Morph burst into tears, melting into a puddle in Tabitha's outstretched hands.

"Come on," Rylee said, grabbing the blob away from Tabitha. "You have to stay with me."

Morph waved goodbye sadly, but didn't argue anymore. Jim and Tabitha made their way up the plank and stayed on deck with the other passengers, waving to their family and friends as they departed. When they'd finally pulled away from the dock, they turned to look at each other.

"Shall we go find our room, dear?" Jim smiled.

Tabitha giggled. "I suppose, darling."

Laughing, each carrying one suitcase while they're other hands stayed laced together, they traveled down a couple of floors until they found the right level, then down the hall until they found the right room. Jim unlocked the door and pulled Tabitha in.

They'd opted to spend less money on their room so that they could stay on their trip longer. Therefore, their room was simple and standard - nothing extravagant. Bed, dresser, small table and chairs, closet, washroom - the usual makings. Jim walked over and pulled the curtains back, revealing the doors that opened onto their own small private balcony.

"Cool," he mumbled appreciatively.

Tabitha dropped her suitcase and sighed contentedly. "So... what now?"

Jim smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Now, I'm going to take my beautiful wife to dinner."

While Tabitha headed off to the washroom to freshen up, Jim straightened his own clothes and quickly brushed his fingers through his hair. When she left a moment later, he was observing the view from their balcony, with his back to her. Taking advantage of his distraction, she hurriedly opened her suitcase and began to rummage around, trying to find whatever it was that Rylee had snuck in there. She found the small gift wrapped in a piece of fabric and tied with a ribbon. Tabitha took the note off the top and read it: _Have fun_! She rolled her eyes and warily unwrapped the gift.

Tabitha stared at the lacy lingerie in shock. It was a black, see-through negligee that Tabitha knew would probably reach only her hips. She held it up and surveyed it, feeling her heart rate increase drastically. She knew what this was for, and the very thought of it seemed to electrocute her.

"What's that?"

Tabitha gasped loudly and turned around to face a smirking Jim. "N-nothing," she stuttered, blushing and trying to hide the article behind her back.

"Oh yeah?" Jim teased. "Well then I hope I get to see you wearing _'nothing'_ tonight."

Tabitha felt her breath catch in her lungs and knew she must have been glowing red by then, so she ducked her face behind her hair and quickly threw the item back into her suitcase. Picking up on her obvious anxiety on how the rest of the night would follow, Jim turned her around and gently kissed her.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm nervous," she muttered.

He tilted her chin up so she was facing him again. "Don't worry. We can figure that out later. Right now, let's just go eat."

"So you _still_ aren't nervous?" she asked as they left the room again.

Jim didn't answer. He simply smiled and leaned down to kiss her once more.

Dinner went smoothly, and Tabitha soon forgot most of her worries she had about what would happen afterward. They laughed, and talked, and acted like the love-drunk newlyweds they were. After sharing a quick dessert, the bill arrived, and suddenly, Tabitha's smile was all but gone again, replaced by the nervous crease in her forehead. Jim paid and Tabitha tried to play off that she wasn't nearly as frightened as she was of what was steadily getting closer. The walk back to the room simultaneously seemed to last decades and go by in the blink of an eye. Tabitha noticed that Jim's carefree attitude was gone now, too. Neither of them spoke a single word until they were back in their room, with the door locked, alone.

Jim mumbled something about getting some air and went to stand outside again, breathing in the cool air of the Etherium to calm his now rapid pulse. Tabitha went to the washroom and splashed some cool water on her face. After a few minutes of deep breaths and reassuring mantras repeated through her head, a sense of serenity washed over her, and she knew she was ready. She donned the lingerie Jim had been so fond of, almost laughing at herself when she looked in the mirror. This lacy thing was something she never would have dreamed of wearing, and yet, here she was. Tabitha attempted to dispel the idea that she looked ridiculous by reminding herself that it would only be a matter of time before she took it off... but she quickly had to shake that thought away when another wave of anxiety washed through her. Despite the fact she was alone, she bit her lip and attempted to cover herself somewhat. Her eyes quickly fell on the complimentary bathrobes. She pulled one on, took one last deep breath, and left the washroom.

For a moment, Tabitha simply watched Jim, his fingers running through his hair, his arms tensely propped on the rail of the balcony, his knuckles white from gripping the railing. He _was_ nervous, maybe even more than she was. She walked out to him and laced her arms around his torso from behind, but he didn't relax.

"Your heart's beating really fast," she began.

"Yeah, go figure," he chuckled.

She released him and moved around to his side. "I thought I was the nervous one."

He didn't react for a moment, then he released a shaky sigh and turned to face her. "Tabitha?"

"Yes?" Jim took another shuddering breath and turned back around. Fearing something was really wrong, Tabitha laced her fingers through his and gently turned his head to face her. "What is it?"

Jim looked nothing short of terrified. "I'm scared out of my mind," he finally admitted.

Tabitha started. "Of what? I thought you were excited about this."

"No! No, I am!" he insisted as he folded her hand between his. "I'm excited, but... I'm worried."

"About what?"

"I..." he flushed and lowered his gaze again. "I don't know... how..."

"How to what?" Tabitha giggled. "It's the same thing we always do, just... more."

"I just want tonight to be perfect... I-I don't want to mess everything up."

She attempted to dispel his fears with a smile. "Jim, do you think I have any idea what to do either?"

"Well, no - "

"Exactly. It's new to both of us."

Jim sighed again. "It's just that... I know how nervous you've been, and I knew it would scare you if I told you I was nervous too - "

"Scare me?" she repeated.

"Yeah..." he mumbled. "I thought it would help you if at least one of us seemed confident."

"So you've been just as nervous as me this whole time?"

Jim nodded. "I've been concerned about how tonight would go since before I proposed."

"Jim... I don't think it's one of those things you plan ahead. When it gets down to it, I'm pretty sure we'll just... know what to do, like we have all the other times," she said confidently.

He smirked. "You don't seem very nervous anymore."

She blushed. "I am, but... I'm excited, too."

Jim's smile quickly fell again. "There's one more thing I'm worried about..."

"What is it?"

He placed his palm to her cheek gently. "I... I don't want to hurt you."

"And you aren't going to."

"But - "

She placed a finger gently to his lips. "You've got it wrong. Will it hurt? Probably a little. But are _you_ going to hurt me? No, of course not," she said sincerely, trying to hide the fact that she was a tiny bit frightened by that prospect as well.

Jim could see right through that facade. He kept his eyes locked on hers, trying to verify that she was as ready as she sounded, then finally released a deep breath. "Alright. But please stop me if I'm hurting you, okay? I don't want to do something wrong a-and, I don't know, end up making it worse. I'm going to try to be careful, but... I-I'm not exactly sure how much control I'll have i-if I get caught up in the moment or something, I-I might not - "

Tabitha silenced his ramblings with a soft kiss. "You're over-thinking things again. We'll be fine. I promise."

Jim sighed gratefully at her words. They smiled and kept there gazes focused on each other. Tabitha finally leaned up to kiss him, softly at first, their lips barely grazing over each others; when Jim reacted though, the kiss evolved into something deeper, more passionate. As he pulled away with a reassured smile, he grabbed her hands, and gently pulled her back inside.

**+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+**

**+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+**

The idea that they were both a bit scared seemed to relax her even more, and suddenly she felt that anxious feeling dissipate. Their lips found each others once again, both still a bit jittery, but their anxiety slowly being replaced with eagerness.

Jim pulled away, looking concerned. "You're shaking."

Tabitha hadn't realized it, but she was. "I-I'm excited..." she explained bashfully.

Jim's tension seemed to ease a bit more, and his hands began to caress her body. A moment later, Tabitha was pulling his jacket off as he untied the sash of the robe. As he pulled it past her shoulders and it slid to the floor, his jaw dropped.

"Like it?" Tabitha asked, attempting to sound coy, but honestly wondering as well.

"You bet I like it," he answered breathlessly as his heart went into overdrive.

Jim quickly latched his arm underneath the back of her knees and swept her off her feet. He sat her on the bed and quickly yanked his shirt off before pulling her back to him. She moved her hands down and began fumbling with the buckle on his belt. With their lips locked and her hands still trembling, though, she was having a hard time.

"Having a little trouble there?" Jim teased.

"I-I can't do it," she blushed, throwing her hands down in her lap in frustration.

He tilted his head to kiss her reassuringly. "Please don't be embarrassed. It's okay," he whispered.

Jim smiled and got his pants off on his own while Tabitha chewed on her lip and anxiously twisted her hair. He laid down, gently pulling her on top as they kissed once again. This was it - this was as far as they'd ever gotten before now. Anything else that happened was completely new, uncharted, unexplored - something they both craved and feared. They knew beyond a shadow of a doubt they were ready, but it seemed they were each waiting for the other to make the first move, to give some sign that they wanted to progress. Hoping to entice Jim into making a move, Tabitha moved her mouth to his neck, softly kissing him as she made her way down to his chest. The oh so light touch of her lips was driving Jim crazy; by the time she got to the waistband of his boxers, Jim was past 'enticed' - he was completely seduced.

Tabitha's heart gave a small, adrenaline-induced jolt as Jim's hands moved up her back to slip her negligee off, then rolled so he was on top of her, tossing the top to the floor. Tabitha felt the heat rise to her already warm face as she watched Jim hover over her, taking in every inch of her as his eyes scanned the length of her body. She reflexively began to cover herself with her arms, but Jim gently stopped her.

"No, dont..." His voice was deep, but the request came out as almost a beg. He was forced to stop mid-sentence when his throat dried, but Tabitha understood. All thoughts of covering herself were forgotten when she saw the effect even something as simple as looking at her was having on Jim. His lustful gaze met her desirous one as every bit of her silently begged for him to be closer once again. Then finally, he was; their lips connected as his hands moved to her chest. The gasp she emitted did nothing to quench Jim's hunger for her, but instead accelerated it until he thought he would die if he couldn't be any closer than he was at that moment.

Jim made a noise of surprise as Tabitha's hand snaked downward. Mistaking the noise for a gasp of complaint, she blushed a bright scarlet and quickly jerked her hands away, laying them on either side of her head. "Oh, I-I'm sorry. I-I don't know what... I-I-I mean... I-I thought that - "

Her apology was interrupted when Jim kissed her, hard, eager for her to continue. "No, that was great." Still a bit tentative, she began again and he groaned as a wave of pleasure rippled through him. He opened his eyes again and looked at her. "Wha - are you _giggling_?"

Tabitha _was_ giggling. She bit her lip, trying to stop. A mischievous smile spread across his face, and before she even had time to think, Jim's mouth was teasing an erogenous spot on her neck. "Mmm..." she whimpered, pulling him closer. Every sweet sound she made sent his blood rushing south. He was no longer thinking, or planning, he was simply doing, acting on every animalistic instinct his body had. Jim trailed his hands down her smooth as silk skin. Tabitha was panting with excitement, but her breathing all but stopped when Jim's mouth trailed down her body. God, she had no idea what he was doing, but it was more stimulating and pleasing than she even thought possible.

A deluge of emotions hit her - titillation, bliss, a touch of embarrassment - resulting in her face, neck, and chest flushing bright red as she froze in pure sexual felicity. Jim noticed and lifted his head to look at her, smirking when he saw the effect he'd managed to have on her. He trailed kisses back up, across her chest and neck, stopping at her ear to whisper, "You are so sexy - " Then to her other - "And so beautiful."

Though his compliments did nothing to lessen her blush, Tabitha did manage to release the air she'd been holding. Jim pushed himself up and looked down at her, searching her face for a sign that she was okay. She smiled, her eyes reading an intrigue and longing that Jim found acutely sensual. Every daring glint in her eye, every coy bite of her lip, every angelic sigh she emitted made him yearn for her that much more until his body and mind were pulsing with the need to be closer, so much closer, connected on an even deeper level.

They were down to one simple item of clothing each, just two layers between them and - No, he was thinking again. He couldn't over analyze this; it just made him nervous. Jim was drawn back down to the events at hand when Tabitha moaned and arched against him. He gasped in surprise and looked at her again. They shared a smile and their lips locked. Jim continued to arouse Tabitha, massaging and teasing, touching her anyway he could to earn that coveted sigh of approval.

As she slid her small, warm hands down past his abdomen again, he moaned a sound of pleading against her lips - pleading for more, more of this, more of now, more of her. He moved back again. Ever so slowly, his fingers flitted down her form, stopping at her hips as he grasped her last piece of clothing in his hands and began to slide it down her legs. Tabitha trembled at his touch, still blushing, but now all the more eager and restless for him, all of him. Never once taking his eyes off the intoxicating sight of her, Jim stood up and removed his last article as well.

Each surveyed the other, soaking in the full sight of one another, intimacies no longer hidden beneath undergarments or clothes revealing just enough to make you ache for more. The sight of each other was more than they could stand, and in the blink of an eye, Jim was back in bed, throwing the sheet over both of them. Still wanting to take it slow, for both of their sakes, his hand didn't reach for the new areas yet. Instead, as their mouths stayed locked, he slid a hand around her waist, stroking the small of her back so that she pressed up against him. Uninhibited by clothing, they gasped together at the feeling of this new-found closeness.

Tabitha ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer, her body molding perfectly against his. Jim's fingers gently and anxiously began to explore the only part of her body that was still a secret. She released him as she fell back to the bed. "Oh, God..." she panted in ecstasy. "Jim..."

Hearing his name called in such a provocative way sent Jim over the edge. He tenderly threaded his fingers into her hair, locking his ardent, turquoise eyes on her cloudy, impassioned ones. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Their stuttering and general anxiety completely overrun by an all-encompassing need for each other, they had only one more move to make. Descending to a careful, romantic plateau of thrill, their lips met softly as Jim positioned himself above Tabitha. Then, finally, blessedly, they united, Jim slow and testing, exceedingly considerate of Tabitha, unsure of what her reaction would be, trying desperately not to hurt her in any way. Tabitha was fine, beyond fine - she was in Heaven; the small amount of pain there was was so quickly disguised with a feeling full of love and passion and hunger that it was wholly overwhelming, completely indescribable.

Their movements found a harmony as the tension progressed. Her fingernails dug into the skin of his back. His hands grasped tightly onto her hips. Every nerve ending in their bodies was set on fire. All the desire and affection, all the wantonness and devotion, all the spirit and emotion of them collided into one fiery, impetuous moment. The three years they'd been together, all the times they'd stopped themselves before reaching this point, every thought they'd ever had about each other, and every feeling that the other evoked in them crashed into this small frame of time. Tabitha suddenly arched towards Jim, her body clenching as a haze of bliss swept over her. Jim followed close behind, his mind foggy, unable to fathom this uncontrollable impulse of his body.

They collapsed onto the bed, breathing like they hadn't in a week. It was all incomprehensible. It was beyond words, or understanding, or anything they knew. It wasn't until a minute later, when their sweat-slicked bodies began to cool and their minds cleared, that either was able to even consider speaking.

**+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+**

**+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+**

"Tabitha..." Jim began.

"Jim..." Tabitha returned.

Neither could put together a single coherent thought.

"God, Tabitha, that was... that was amazing," Jim laughed quietly as he gazed up at the ceiling.

Tabitha giggled breathlessly. "Yeah... I had no idea it would be... like that."

"Me either." He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly before looking back at her. "So, uh, you're okay?"

"I'm better than just okay." Tabitha rolled over to face Jim and saw how anxious he still looked. She smiled and sympathetically began to rub his chest to comfort him. "Jim, you did everything perfectly."

Jim's eyes widened. "I did?"

"Well, it's not like I have anything to compare it to, but yeah."

He chuckled. "I guess me sounding so unsure about everything isn't really helping the mood, huh?"

"Au contrare. I'm glad we're talking about it." She leaned down and kissed him once again. "Please don't think a single negative thought or question anything about tonight. I couldn't have anything more perfect than that. It was the best night of my entire life."

"Oh, really?" Jim raised an eyebrow, adopting that playful smirk he was known for. Tabitha rolled her eyes and lay back down. He grinned and reached out to brush her sweaty bangs away from her eyes. "You were unbelievable."

"_We_ were unbelievable. I couldn't have done that alone."

He laughed. "Can we do that - "

"Every day?"

"I was going to say all the time..."

"For the rest of our lives?"

"We might have to take a break to eat sometimes."

It took a second, but then they turned to face each other at the same time and burst into a fit of laughter. Tabitha rolled over to him and laid her head on his chest. He kissed her forehead and wrapped his arm around her.

"Do you think it was worth the wait?" she asked quietly.

"Oh yeah," he told her. "_Definitely_ worth the wait."

They both sighed in contented agreement.

* * *

Jim was the first to awake in the morning. His eyes blinked in the rays of mid-morning light to adjust. Tabitha was still pressed against his chest, her hair strewn in her face and her bare shoulders just visible over the edge of the sheet. She let out a small happy sigh when she felt him shift beneath her. He chuckled and Tabitha shifted, yawning as she repositioned herself.

"Are you awake?" Jim asked quietly.

Tabitha didn't answer, but she did smile, and Jim was fairly certain she was faking. To test his theory, he lightly skimmed his fingers down her back, earning a light giggle as she tried to shift away.

Jim laughed. "Good morning."

Tabitha sighed and, resigning to the fact that she was awake for good, looked up at Jim. "Good morning."

"Did you sleep okay?"

"I slept great," she smiled as she rolled over to her side of the bed. As she stretched her arms above her head, the sheet slid down her body, and Jim was able to take in more of his beautiful wife. Tabitha quickly noticed where his gaze had fallen and reached to pull the sheet back around her, flushing a pale pink. Jim couldn't help laughing at how adorably shy she still was.

"So... what are we going to do today?" she questioned.

"Well, how about breakfa - er, lunch?" he interrupted himself as he glanced over at the clock, noticing it was almost 11.

"Sounds good. I'm pretty hungry." She looked up at him and laughed.

"What?" he demanded playfully.

"Your hair looks funny," she giggled, reaching out to smooth it out a bit.

"Oh, well, look who's talking," he laughed back as he began to run his fingers through her tangled hair.

"Don't bother," she said, pushing his hands away. "I'll have to shower to get the knots out."

"You know, I was actually just thinking about taking a shower," Jim began mischievously. "Care to join me?"

Tabitha blushed a bright pink. "Oh. Um... I - " but before she could say anything, Jim burst out laughing. "What?"

"I wanted to make sure you still blush," he explained.

"Oh," she mumbled. "So you weren't actually offering?"

"Well, I was - "

"Because..." she rolled over on top of him. "I was actually quite excited by the idea." Jim flushed and started to stammer out an answer, but she stopped him with a finger to his lips. "I wanted to make sure you still blush, too."

They laughed together for a moment, then there eyes met and they went silent.

"You know, a shower is probably a good idea," he proposed.

"Yeah, especially if we're going to be seen in public," she added.

"And it doesn't really make sense to shower separately now, does it?"

"No, I don't suppose it does."

"And we - "

"Are you going to carry me to the shower, or should I just get up and go bathe on my own?"

"Hmm," Jim began, feigning a contemplative look. "Well I guess if those are my only two options, then there's only one logical answer, and that is - "

"For you to shut up and kiss me," Tabitha concluded.

Jim laughed as they clambered out of bed. He pulled her back to him and eagerly lifted her off the ground. Tabitha laughed and wrapped her legs and arms around him as he carried her to the washroom, shutting the door behind them.

* * *

Tabitha and Jim were unusually touchy-feely that day. What started out as holding hands on the way to breakfast turned into Jim wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close when they left. As they did the activities available on the ship, Jim occasionally slid his hand lower, smirking each time as Tabitha blushed, laughed, and moved his hand back up, only to repeat the whole scenario a little while later.

They ate lunch side by side with no space between them. Tabitha spent the meal slowly running her hand up and down Jim's leg. When she became a bit more daring and slid her hand along his inner thigh, Jim quickly stood up and insisted he was through eating, despite the fact he'd only eaten half. She smirked skeptically at him, but Jim only smiled, refusing to let on to how much she was getting to him.

They headed to dinner, once again sitting closer than really seemed necessary. No sooner had the waiter walked away with drink orders then Jim turned to Tabitha, placing his mouth beside her ear to whisper sweet - and not-so-sweet - comments. Meanwhile, his hand rubbed her leg as she had done to his earlier. She'd been so distracted by the rough, sexy sound of his voice to pay much attention to anything else, namely that Jim has sneakily been raising her dress little by little. That is, until Jim's hand was suddenly on her bare thigh. Tabitha squealed in shock, catching the attention of several of the surrounding tables and startling the waiter who had just returned with their drinks. He looked at them oddly, but made no comment other than requesting their orders. Jim inconspicuously moved his hand away and wrapped it around behind Tabitha as he ordered. Tabitha flushed scarlet, but managed to stammer out a request. As the waiter walked away with the menu's, still eying the couple interestedly, Jim's hand slid back down to her lap and seized her hand.

Dinner passed by with more soft caresses and coy statements made to one another. Then, it was up to the room to grab swimsuits before heading hand in hand to the pool, just after sunset.

"Whoa," Jim mumbled. "It's completely deserted."

Tabitha discreetly let out a sigh of relief, thankful that there would be no audience to see her in the slightly skimpy bathing suit she'd daringly decided to wear. Jim didn't hesitate a bit. He chuckled, quickly stripped off the shirt he had on, and waded into the pool.

"You coming?" he questioned as he tread water.

Tabitha shifted from one foot to the other. "Um..."

"Tabitha," Jim began, instantly recognizing her shyness. "We're alone, and I've seen you in less."

"But what if someone else comes down here?" she wondered.

"Then we can get out if you're uncomfortable," he shrugged. "Though I don't know why you would be - you look incredibly sexy."

Tabitha rolled her eyes. "Maybe that's why. It's one thing, for you to see me, but I - "

"If you don't get in this pool right now, I'll get out and throw you in."

"Ha! I'd like to see you try!" Jim's eyes narrowed, and Tabitha immediately regretted her challenge. "Wait! Okay, okay!" - she stripped down to her bathing suit - "I'm getting in! I'm getting - AH!" Her protests were halted when Jim rushed out of the pool and, swooping her up over her shoulder, threw her into the pool. Tabitha wasn't one to be taken down that easily; she pulled Jim in with her.

A moment later they bobbed up together, both coughing and laughing. "Jerk!" Tabitha splashed him. "I was getting in!"

"You were taking too long!" Jim splashed her back.

"_You_ are impatient!"

"_You_ were teasing me!"

"_You_ are over eager!"

Jim shot her an impatient look that quickly faded into sly grin as he slid his hands around her waist to pull her closer. "You bet I am. I had to wait three years for last night - " He moved to whisper in her ear. " - And now I'm not sure I'll ever have enough."

"Hmm, so I've made you insatiable, is that what you're saying?" she mocked.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Jim chuckled as he moved his hands to her hips and kissed her.

Tabitha laughed and wiggled within his grasp. He pulled back, smirking, only to be pulled back into the kiss.

"Seems I've made you just as enthusiastic as I am," he chuckled.

"Don't flatter yourself," she teased.

Jim squinted irritatedly at her, but Tabitha only giggled. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. She laughed hysterically as Jim began to kiss her neck. "Jim..." He ignored her and continued, moving his hands up her back. "Jim..." she feigned complaints as she moved her hands up his arms to his shoulders. He kissed her lips and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Jim laughed into the kiss as his hands continued to move, up her back, to the laces of her swimsuit - "Jim!" she squealed as she wrapped her arms across her chest.

"What?" he asked in mock-innocence. "We're alone."

"But we're still in public! Tie it back."

"And what if I refuse?"

Tabitha narrowed her eyes. "I'll make sure you don't enjoy another night like last night for a long, long time."

Jim squinted. "You're bluffing."

"You want to take your chances on that?"

He hesitated, then sighed and swam around around to retie the strings.

Tabitha smirked and moved to put her hands on his chest, gently pushing him back just a bit. "You really ought to learn some self control."

"Hey! I have self control! I just don't feel the need to use it right now."

"Oh, is that so?" she mocked, pushing Jim backwards in the water some more. Jim blinked in shock as he suddenly found his back pressed against the wall of the pool. Tabitha smirked and moved in, pressing her body against his. "Well what if I didn't feel the need to use self control right now either?"

Jim gulped but tried to remain calm. "Fine by me. Do your worst."

Tabitha grinned and ran her hands very slowly down his chest. Jim's pulse increased dramatically, whether from her heated gaze or her touch, he didn't know, but somehow the combination was driving him wild. The entire day of flirtatious comments and touches had him going from zero to sixty in no time at all. When her hands stopped at the waistband of his swim trunks, it took all his strength to keep up the calm facade. Why had he told her to do her worst? It felt amazing, but it was using a lot of his self control not to take her right then and there. Tabitha leaned forward and lightly brushed her lips against his. Jim leaned towards her, searching for more, and Tabitha obliged. Meanwhile, her hands slowly brushed through his hair, then down his sculpted torso, stopping once again at his waist, but this time, Jim couldn't help the quiet moan of expectation that escaped him.

"Can we go back inside?" he whispered.

"Why?" Tabitha feigned naivety. "You were so eager to go swimming."

"Yeah, well," Jim panted. "Now I'm eager to go do other things."

Tabitha smirked. Her hands moved down only a fraction of an inch, but Jim panicked. He had to take control of the situation. He quickly grabbed her upper arms and spun around so that they had switched positions. Now Tabitha looked as shocked as he had felt. He slid his hands down her body, the same way she had done to him.

Jim pressed himself against her and leaned forward to her ear. "We really need to go inside now," he said in a husky whisper.

"Okay..." Tabitha breathlessly agreed.

Neither of them made any attempt to move. Tabitha lunged forward and pulled Jim into a kiss. Jim gasped against her lips and braced his arms against the wall of the pool. Tabitha wrapped her legs around him. His kisses trailed downwards - jaw, neck...

She gasped and flinched away from Jim. "W-we should go back to the room."

Jim's chest was heaving and all he could do was nod. He quickly pushed himself out of the water, then reached down to help Tabitha too. They wrapped in towels and grabbed their clothes. Jim grabbed Tabitha's hand and dragged her through the halls back to their room, both of them laughing hysterically, thankful that the halls were mostly deserted... Until halfway there, they turned a corner and ran smack into an older man.

"Whoa, where's the fire?" the man questioned.

Tabitha blushed and pulled her towel up to cover herself more while Jim apologized. "Oh, sorry about that!"

The man chuckled. "It's alright. Don't you two lovebirds worry yourselves one bit."

"We... we were in a hurry," Jim laughed, pulling Tabitha behind him when he noticed how embarrassed she still looked, though he just found the situation funny.

"It's okay, son. I can't say I blame you at all. I'd be in a hurry, too," he said with a glance towards Tabitha, and a wink back at Jim.

Jim laughed. "Thanks!"

"Don't let her go!" the man shouted as they continued down the hall.

"Not for everything in the Etherium!" Jim shouted over his shoulder.

They finally made their way all the way back to their room. As soon as the door shut, Tabitha tackled Jim to the bed.

"Have I mentioned I love you?" Jim laughed as he untied her top again.

She threw it off and lowered her lips to his. "Maybe once or twice."

"Well," he smirked, rolling them over so that he was on top. "I guess I need to make it known, huh?"

Tabitha giggled as Jim kissed her, both excited by the knowledge that this was only the beginning.

* * *

**Ohmygeez. I hope that wasn't too awkward.**

**The title of the chapter is inspired by the song "You and I Tonight" by Faber Drive. It's very romantic and has a slight sensual tone to it. I LOVE it!  
**

**Please leave comments/critiques/etc. I'm not planning on writing another lemon... but then again, I didn't plan on writing this one either, so you never know...**

**As always, you can leave requests of things you want to see. No guarantee I'll write it, but I will always consider it.**

**Thanks you guys!**

**-Emily**

**+Responses to Reviews+**

**ADangerousPastime:**** Yeah, sorry about the wait. Thank you so much though! I really wonder if I'm keeping everyone in character sometimes, so I'm so so SO glad to hear that I am with Jim.**

**Tsukasa-kun: Your argument idea - AWESOME. I sort of blended it into one of my own and it improved the chapter SO much. I'll be posting it... sometimes :D Thank you!**

**NeverTooLate03: Damn it! I always forget Morph! What is that? Ugh, anyway, glad you liked the end. I'm definitely going to get Graham a girl, I just haven't figure out how yet... and how Rylee and Tabitha met/became friends is going to be in one of the upcoming chapters! As always, thank you so much!**

**23jk: Glad you liked it!**

**malisa: Oh, I know! I can't wait to post the chapters about when Tabitha gets pregnant, but it's going to be a while. I'm glad you like the story!**

**MistressTaco: I know, I know - I said all along I wasn't going to, and here it is. Haha don't worry - I love lemons, too. You're not alone xD Aw, I had no idea it was so evocative! I'm glad you liked it!**

**anon: Thanks! Oh right! The profile! I need to do that... **

**Kristy: Thanks! Aw, I know - Jim is beyond adorable when he's nervous.**

**CMR Rosa: Nice to see a new reviewer! Thanks! That idea is actually incorporated into one of the chapters already, and it will be posted soon!**

**Horsygirl 96: No worries! Glad you liked it!  
**


	4. And the Stars Never Lie

**Okay, so originally I'd planned to post a different chapter before this one, but this one got done first. **

**Heads up: This is where the story starts to skip around a bit because I'm doing what you guys requested :D**

**To me, this chapter sounds a bit... I don't know. Jumpy? But I still thought it came out pretty good.**

**CMR Rosa wanted to see how Tabitha and Mrs. Hawkins first met, and I just randomly wrote that whole romantic scene thing at the end, so I combined them.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"I want you to meet someone," Jim announced to Tabitha as he pulled her through swarms of people until he found his mother. "Tabitha, this is my mom. Mom, this is Tabitha Alexander."

"Hello," Tabitha greeted shyly.

"Oh. Hello," Mrs. Hawkins said, slightly taken aback. "It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too."

"Tabitha and I worked together on the ship," he explained.

"I see..." his mother said, glancing knowingly between the two of them.

"She's staying with us at Doc's."

"Did you ask Delbert if that was alright?"

"Yes, ma'am," Jim answered.

Mrs. Hawkins blinked in shock. "Did you just refer to me as 'ma'am'?"

Jim chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah."

"Well... I certainly want to hear how that..."

Tabitha didn't catch the rest of the sentence. Suddenly, she felt like she was underwater. Why was everything spinning?

"Whoa..." she mumbled through her dizziness.

"Hey," Jim's forehead creased in concern. "You okay?"

Tabitha swayed slightly and Jim grabbed her arms to keep her steady. "Yeah," she lied. "I'm fine."

Dr. Doppler showed up and began talking to Mrs. Hawkins, but Jim didn't take his eyes off Tabitha. She was not fine, and he knew it. Anyone who looked at her would know it.

"Jim..." she began quietly.

"What?" he questioned.

Tabitha couldn't reply. Her vision had gone blurry, and her head was drowning in nothingness. As her knee's crumpled beneath her and her eyes fluttered shut, she had just enough awareness in her to hear several voices, including Jim's, cry out her name, and a strong arm catch her before she hit the pavement.

* * *

Jim climbed out of the GalactiCab first, then turned around to pick up Tabitha.

"I can still _walk_, Jim. I'm fine," she protested.

"Right, that's why you collapsed less than five minutes after we got off the ship," Jim teased her as he headed up the path towards Dr. Doppler's house.

"I did not collapse! I… stumbled."

"Stumbled? Yeah, I guess if you call nearly blacking out and your knees giving out from under you 'stumbling'," Jim laughed as he opened the front door.

As he stepped inside the doorway, their laughter abruptly ended as they had the same realization; there was only one other time when a guy carried a girl over the threshold of a house…

They looked at each other and, for no good reason, Tabitha felt herself start to blush. Jim cleared his throat and carried her into the living room.

"Y-you should rest," he told her as he laid her down on one of the couches and sat next to her. "I can't believe you haven't eaten or slept in nearly two days."

"I forgot."

"How do you 'forget' those?" Jim laughed as he tossed a blanket over her.

"I-I... well… well you haven't eaten or slept either!" she countered.

"Wrong. I ate while you were packing."

"Oh."

They were interrupted by Dr. Doppler stumbling through the door trying to manage all of their bags at once. Jim stood up to help him, catching him by the elbow just before he toppled over.

"Oh, thank you, Jim," he sighed as Jim grabbed a couple of the bags and placed them in a chair in the living room. The doctor turned around to face Tabitha. "Well, you seem to be doing alright."

"Yes, I'm fine. Um… thank you again for letting me stay here."

"Not at all."

"Where are you going?" Tabitha asked Jim as he started to head out of the room.

"I'm going to make us some food before you faint again," he joked. "You rest."

Tabitha rolled her eyes, but gave up on trying to argue. She flopped down on the cushions and, in a matter of seconds, was out like a light.

* * *

The next time she awoke, it was to the feel of a soft hand against her face. It was a touch she hadn't felt in years, a mother's touch...

"Tabitha?" Mrs. Hawkins questioned.

Tabitha's eyes blinked open to see Jim's mother sitting on the edge of the couch beside her.

"Oh, good," she began. "I was beginning to think you were ill."

"No," Tabitha yawned. "Just very, very tired."

"Well, if you're hungry, Jim's made us all dinner." She laughed. "There's a sentence I never thought I would say... I don't know how much Jim has told you about himself, but he - "

"He's told me everything," Tabitha answered. "Well, maybe not everything, but I know he wasn't exactly the kind of boy you'd find volunteering to make dinner."

"No, he wasn't," Mrs. Hawkins smiled. "And yet, he is now." She glanced towards the kitchen door, then turned back to the girl. "What happened to him on this trip?"

"Oh, come on, mom," Jim laughed as he entered the room with a plate of food, followed by Morph. "You act as if I've never done anything nice before."

"I didn't say that," she laughed as she stood up. "I'm just glad to see you so... happy."

"Yeah, well, I'm glad to be so happy." He hugged his mom, then turned to Tabitha. "How do you feel?"

She shrugged. "Tired."

Morph acted out a huge yawn and fell against Tabitha's chest to go to sleep.

"Well, here," Jim said, taking over the seat where his mother had been moments ago. "I wasn't sure if you were well enough to get up, so I brought you some food."

"Oh. Thank - "

"FOOD!" Morph interrupted Tabitha. "Food! Food! Food!" He quickly grabbed a slice of bread and rushed away before Jim could grab him.

"Should we go after him? Her? That?" Mrs. Hawkins questioned.

Tabitha giggled. "No, he'll be fine."

"Can you sit up?" Jim asked her. Tabitha nodded and pushed herself up slowly.

"Okay," Mrs. Hawkins said, placing her hands on her hips. "What is this?"

"What is what?" Jim asked. She raised her eyebrows and glanced pointedly between the two of them. "Oh!"

"Oh, we're..." Tabitha began. "Um..."

The couple stared at each other questioningly, unsure of how to answer.

"Oh, okay," the mother began knowingly. "Well, I think I'll take some food to Delbert and B.E.N."

"B.E.N. is with Delbert?" Tabitha asked in surprise as Mrs. Hawkins left the room.

"Yeah," Jim chuckled. "They get along pretty well, amazingly. B.E.N. has a lot of questions about what's happened over the last 100 years, and Doc - well, you know how he is."

"Good point."

"Yeah. Um... are you hungry?"

Tabitha opened her mouth to answer, but a loud growl from her stomach beat her to it. She blushed.

Jim laughed. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Yeah... Um, thanks. For bringing it to me. And for inviting me to stay here with you," she smiled and took the plate from Jim.

He shrugged casually, but then his brow furrowed in thought. "Hey... Tabitha?"

"Hmm?" she questioned through a mouthful of food.

"What, uh... what are we?"

Tabitha swallowed. "I'm guessing the answer you're looking for isn't 'humans'."

Jim laughed. "No. I meant us, together... a-as a couple..." He trailed off, unsure of how she would react.

"Well... we're just that - a couple," Tabitha shrugged nonchalantly. "I mean, I am your girlfriend, right?"

"Are you?"

She blinked in shock. "I... I thought I was..."

Jim smirked. "You know, I never actually asked you..."

Tabitha went scarlet. "I-I'm sorry. I thought we... I mean, b-because that night, in the galley... and we... I-If you don't want to, it's fine. I-I didn't mean to imply... I never understood h-how this couple stuff works - "

"Hey, hey, relax," Jim chuckled. "I was messing with you."

"Oh. So I am...?"

"Well, do you want to be?"

"I think the answer to that's been made pretty clear..." she mumbled, looking down at her lap.

"So I just need to make it official, huh? Okay - " he cleared his throat and adopted a ridiculously serious expression as he took her hand in his. "Tabitha Alexander, will you be my girlfriend?"

Tabitha gasped, a hand flying to her heart over-dramatically. "Oh, yes, James Hawkins! I would love to be your girlfriend!"

They laughed at the scene they'd created together. When Jim saw how happy Tabitha was, he couldn't help but kiss her.

"Oh, okay."

They abruptly pulled apart at the sound of Mrs. Hawkins' voice.

"Mom, Tabitha and I are - " Jim began happily.

"I think I figured it out on my own now, Jim," his mother smiled.

Jim laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head, while Tabitha looked away, her cheeks flushing a dusky pink.

* * *

Several hours later, the five of them – Tabitha, Jim, his mother, Dr. Doppler, and Captain Amelia (who had joined them for dinner) –had finished a dinner and were lounging in Dr. Doppler's living room, finishing up the story of their voyage, if you could even call it that. Jim, who had played the narrator of the story, had opted to take out so many of the "scary" details that it pretty much just sounded like a pleasure cruise. All Tabitha, Amelia, and Delbert could do was sit back and look amused.

"Uh-huh…" Sarah replied at the end, obviously very skeptical.

"Yes, ma'am. Smooth sailing all the way," Jim flat out lied. Tabitha laughed at how outlandish this was compared to the truth, but tried to cleverly disguise it with a cough.

"Yes, that's another thing," Mrs. Hawkins began. "Where did this 'ma'am' come from?"

"You can thank me for that, Ms. Hawkins. I hope you don't mind me forcing some manners onto him," Captain Amelia responded.

"Be my guest! I've been trying to do it for years. I'm glad to see you got something good out of this trip, Jim."

"Yeah, me too," Jim responded, casting a glance over to Tabitha that no one except Tabitha herself caught. She held his gaze, biting her lip to hold back a smile.

"Well, I really must be going," Amelia began. "A captain's work isn't over just because she's back at port."

Dr. Doppler escorted Amelia out while the other three stood up and stretched sleepily.

"Mom, can I talk to you for a minute?" Jim asked.

"Of course."

He pulled her out into the hallway and immediately wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you."

"For what?" she asked in shock, returning the embrace.

"For everything," he said as he looked into her eyes. "For never giving up on me. For letting me go on this trip. Mom, it was amazing. I can't even begin to tell you how it all happened, but I... I-I just changed, I guess. It's going to be different now, I promise. I owe you that much."

"You don't owe me a thing, Jim," she assured him, pulling him into another hug as her eyes teared up.

Though Jim would never admit it, his eyes weren't exactly dry either.

* * *

"Tabitha, you're staying in the first room on the left when you reach the top of the stairs," Dr. Doppler explained as to Tabitha after he was done saying goodbye to Captain Amelia.

"Okay. And thanks again for letting me stay," she said politely.

"I assure you it's no trouble at all," he smiled.

Tabitha nodded and left to go to bed. Stars above, she was tired. She wasn't sure she'd ever feel truly awake again. She trudged tiredly up the staircase to the washroom to change into the clothes Jim's mother had loaned her while her own were being washed. Drowsily, she changed and brushed her teeth before wandering across the hall, looking forward to simply falling into bed. She yawned as she opened the door -

"Whoa! Hey!" Jim yelped.

Tabitha's jaw dropped at the sight of Jim in only his boxers. As he tried to quickly pull on his pants to cover himself, Tabitha blushed furiously and managed to regain enough sense to know to turn around.

"I-I'm sorry!" she apologized to the wall. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to... I mean, I didn't know you were... I-I-I'm sorry!"

"Uh, i-it's alright," he told her as he felt his face heat up.

Tabitha was too mortified to think of anything else to say.

"Um, you can turn back around now..."

Tabitha slowly obeyed, her face still scarlet. "I-I-I'm really sorry... "

Jim, now dressed his sweat pants and a tshirt, was scratching the back of his neck nervously, but tried to sound reassuring nonetheless. "I-It's no big deal... But, uh, what are you doing in here?"

"Dr. Doppler told me this is where I was sleeping."

He blinked. "This is where I'm sleeping."

"Oh."

"Well, I mean, there are two beds, but..."

Tabitha looked around the room for the first time, finding that there were two twin beds on either side of a small nightstand. "I... guess they just figured we wouldn't mind because we slept in the same room on the ship...?"

"Yeah... well, um, I don't mind," Jim shrugged. "That is, unless you're uncomfortable. I-I can go talk to Doc and - "

"N-No, it's fine. Really," she assured him.

"Are you sure?"

Tabitha nodded.

"Okay, well, um... goodnight, I guess..."

"Yeah, goodnight," she mumbled.

Jim doused the lights and they each laid down in their own bed, but neither drifted off to sleep yet.

"Jim?" Tabitha whispered into the silence.

"Hmm?"

"I really am sorry. I had no idea you were in here or I never would have - "

"Tabitha," he laughed. "It's not a big deal. Call it payback for when I did the same thing to you."

"O-Okay..."

"Just forget about it."

But Tabitha knew she wouldn't be forgetting how attractive Jim had looked, just like Jim knew he wouldn't be forgetting the sight of her in that paper thing nightgown...

* * *

Jim had no idea why he was awake. Glancing around the pitch black room told him it was still the middle of the night, and his ears told him that the rest of the house was asleep as well. He rubbed his eyes, willing them to adjust, and was finally able to see that the bed beside him was empty and the door to the hall was slightly ajar.

Jim threw back the covers and slipped out of bed, shivering when his feet touched the cold, hardwood floor. Once he was in the hall, he could faintly see that there was a light on somewhere downstairs. He followed, as quietly as he could, down to the ground floor and into the kitchen. When he entered, Tabitha was standing with her back to him, the comforter from her bed wrapped around her shoulders. Before Jim had a chance to make his presence known, she turned around, jumping about a foot in the air when she found him standing in the doorway.

"Jim!" she squealed.

"Shh, sorry!" he apologized, trying to keep her quiet. "I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry."

"It's alright," she breathed. "What are you doing down here?"

"I woke up and noticed your bed was empty." He waited a second to see if she would explain on her own before urging her on. "What are _you_ doing down here?"

"Oh," she muttered, looking down at her feet. "I, um... couldn't sleep."

"Did you have a bad dream or something?"

She shook her head. "No..."

"Uh... are you sick?"

She shook her head.

Jim's brow furrowed as he walked over to her. "What is it?"

He waited. Eventually, Tabitha looked up and Jim was finally able to notice that she was crying. "Where do you think he is?"

"What?"

"He's okay, right?" she begged. "I mean, wh-what's going to happen to him? I just keep thinking of him, a-alone in that longboat..."

Oh. Now he understood - she missed Silver.

"Wh-where will he go? What i-if something happens to him? What if... what if he..." She lowered her head to hide more tears but she couldn't hold back the sob that escaped her.

Jim didn't have a clue what he was supposed to say. In truth, he'd been wondering the same things, but obviously it had gotten to her more. But Tabitha had known Silver much longer than Jim had; Silver had practically raised her.

Unsure of exactly how to handle this, he gently pulled her towards him. As he wrapped his arms around her back, she gave in and sobbed against his chest. She kept the blanket pulled tightly around her body as Jim comfortingly ran his hand down her back.

"Hey, it's going to be okay," Jim attempted to assure her. "He's fine. Don't worry."

"I just wish I knew where he was..."

Jim's eyes widened as an idea struck him. "Come here."

"Where?" Tabitha sniffled as she followed Jim out of the kitchen, through the den, and Dr. Doppler's library/observatory.

Jim flicked on a switch by the door and the metal dome of the roof began to retract, revealing the starry night sky through the glass ceiling. Tabitha sucked in a small breath of awe before Jim distracted her.

"Come here," he called, motioning her over to where he was now standing on a small platform that lead to the eyepiece of the gigantic telescope.

"What?" she asked nervously.

Jim smiled. "Well, one, I'm cold, and I was wondering if you'd come keep me warm."

Tabitha blinked. "Wh-what?"

"The blanket?" Jim reminded her.

"Oh. Right," Tabitha mumbled as a blush spread across her cheeks.

"Geez, what did you think I meant?" he teased as she approached him.

"Oh, shut up..." she mumbled as she handed him half the blanket. "What are you doing?"

Jim wrapped the blanket around behind him so that they were side by side, each holding one edge of it. "You said you wanted to know where Silver was, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Well - " he flipped open a nearby astronomy book and began skimming through it. "I'm going to show you where he might be."

"What do you mean?" she asked curiously. "He _might_ be anywhere in the Etherium."

"I know," Jim answered. "For example - " he moved back over to the telescope and changed it's positioning just slightly. "He could be there."

"There?"

"Yeah, look," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her up so she could see.

Blushing at his touch, she hesitantly obeyed and found herself gasping at the sight of a beautiful planet of swirling blue and green patterns. "What is that?"

"That is the planet Rivage - a planet composed mostly of water," he explained. "The little land that there is is all beaches. It's paradise."

"Wow..." Tabitha said in awe.

"Or," Jim continued, taking control of the telescope once again. "He could be... there." He backed up to let Tabitha see the bright pink planet. "Benywaidd."

"That's a weird name. What's there?"

"It's the 'feminine' planet. It's home to these nymph-like aliens. Apparently, they're all beautiful in an almost hypnotic way."

Tabitha laughed a little. "Yeah, he might enjoy that."

Jim grinned at the fact that she was now smiling. "Personally, if _I_ had to go somewhere..." he adjusted the view once again. "I'd go here."

She once again looked to see a planet, this one brown. "Why? It looks kind of dull."

"It's called Alegria," he explained. "It may not look like much, but it's a sort of utopia. Perfect place to live, raise a family..."

"I never would have guessed," Tabitha said casually as she looked back to Jim. "I guess things aren't always what they seem."

He smiled and shook his head. "Not even close."

She bit her lip. "Have you ever heard of Meddyliau?"

"Med... what?"

"I'll take that as a no," she laughed. "Meddyliau. It's just a quiet little planet, but... well, hang on, I'll show you."

"Okay," he chuckled as she found her bearings and adjusted the telescope.

"Ah! There it is." She moved back. "Tell me what color it is."

"What?"

"What color is it?"

"What do you mean what color is it? It's the same color as when you looked at it."

"Just play along."

He sighed and looked at it. "It's purple."

Jim turned to look at her again. She held his gaze for a moment, then took a deep breath. Before he could ask her anything, he realized how close she was, and he found himself leaning towards her, preparing for their lips to meet. Then they did, and his lips curled into an unstoppable smile.

She pulled back, looking flushed. "Look at it again."

"What?"

"Just look."

Still flabbergasted by this whole scene, Jim looked again. "Whoa! I-It's gold!"

"What?" Tabitha gasped.

"Yeah! It's gold now! How did...?" Jim shook his head in disbelief, gazing up in the general direction of the planet through the glass dome. "Okay, it's your turn to explain."

"Well... the planet itself is just a calm planet - the perfect place to go if you want to be alone, to just get away from it all," she explained. "But from a distance, it has the ability to appear differently to different people, according to their mood."

"Seriously?" Jim asked. "But how does that work?"

Tabitha shrugged. "How does anything work?"

He laughed. "Okay, fair enough. So what do the colors mean?"

"Well, purple represents confusion, which makes sense because you didn't understand why I was asking you what color it was. When I looked through, it was green, which means your hopeful, or optimistic, which makes sense because I'm hoping Silver is okay."

"What about gold?" Jim asked.

Tabitha hesitated. She tilted her head back to gaze at the sky. "Silver showed me that planet not long after he took me in. Over time, I went through all the colors - blue for happiness, red for anger, pink for embarrassment, orange, black, yellow, brown... but I never saw gold. So finally I asked him if it ever appeared gold. He told me it could, but he'd never heard of it actually happening."

"Why not?"

"Well... he said that gold basically meant perfection. It only appears gold when you're completely happy." Tabitha turned back to look at Jim. "Silver had never met anyone who was completely happy, and he wasn't even sure it was possible."

Jim just stared at her, working through the story silently. "Completely happy?"

"Yeah," she mumbled.

"But I... right before it turned gold, we..."

Tabitha blushed, but was clueless as to how to respond.

"Tabitha, I..." He stopped when he realized he had no idea what he wanted to stay.

"Yes?" she whispered eagerly.

Holding her gaze, Jim took a deep breath and decided to speak up before his courage wavered. "Look at it again."

"What?"

"Look again. What color is it now? For you?"

Tabitha gulped, but slowly leaned down. She wasn't even sure she wanted to know, or if she was ready to find out...

"It's... I-it's gold..."

"Really?" Jim gasped.

"Yeah." Anxiously, wondering if Jim had reached the same conclusion as she had, she looked back up and found Jim standing much closer than he had been.

Jim grinned. "I was hoping you would say that."

Her breath caught and she couldn't speak, but she didn't need to. They were clearly thinking the same thing. They laughed in breathless shock as he carefully leaned down to kiss her once again...

* * *

When Jim awoke the next morning, his first thought was that he must have dreamed it all; it was too good to be true.

He quickly realized he was wrong when he felt movement and found himself squeezed, side-by-side, into a recliner with Tabitha. He had one arm wrapped around her, with her head on his shoulder and one of her hands placed gently on his chest. The blanket was draped over them, but had begun to slide down slightly, making Tabitha shiver. Jim chuckled quietly to himself and pulled it back up around them.

Glancing up through the glass dome of the observatory told him it was still quite early in the morning. He closed his eyes, planning to fall back asleep...

"Jim?"

His eyes flickered back open in surprise that Tabitha was awake. "Yeah?"

She yawned and shifted closer. "Thank you. For... everything."

He grinned to himself. "No. Thank you."

Tabitha let out a dreamy sigh and almost instantly drifted back to sleep. Jim could smell the scent of her hair, feel her heart beat, still taste the kiss from the night before... but he could not wrap his head around the fact that right now, at this very moment, he was holding happiness in his hands. As the arm wrapped around her shifted to hold her even tighter, he decided he didn't need to understand how it was possible. It just was.

It was written in the stars.

* * *

**Okay, so yeah, it's a bit weird, but I still thought it was really cute :)**

**Kudos for the ideas, you guys!**

**OH! And everyone should go check out Lauren-24 on DeviantArt (lauren-24 . deviantart . com ) It's ADangerousPastime's account, and she's drawn some sketches of Tabitha and Jim, including a kiss that is so so so SO adorable!**

**Leave more comments/requests/etc.!**

**-Emily**

**+Responses to Reviews+**

**NeverTooLate03: Ha No, you didn't forget it. The swimming part was added on. And that old man was added for a specific reason that will become clear later on... :)**

**anon: Oh yeah, sorry, I didn't actually say it, but they're on a cruise type thing. And yeah, we'll see the whole being carried over the threshold thing a little later on. Thank you!**

**23jk: Haha I'm glad it wasn't awkward! Thanks!**

**SweetAngel183: Eep! That is kind of embarrassing. Ah, well. Ce la vie :D Thank you so much!**

**MistressTaco: Haha Thank you!**

**Tsukasa-kan: Lol You have no idea how long I've been working on writing that lemon. I've had to build up bravery for months to post it xD Glad you like it!**

**Horseygirl 96: Haha Okay well you didn't have to, but I'm glad you read, and liked, the lemon. Thank you :)  
**


	5. Love Takes Reality by Surprise

**Hello again, readers!**

**I've got something a little different this time - a Cason/Rylee chapter, requested by ADangerousPastime... and maybe NeverTooLate03. (I can't remember if you had that same idea or not. :P Sorry!)**

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy!**

**This takes place right after Chapter 18 of 'Fearless' - the chapter where Jim is named captain and there's a party at the Benbow and all that jazz.**

**So Jim and Tabitha were just looking out the window, thinking about Silver.**

**Enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

"So," Jim said turning back around to look at the dancing couples once again. "Did you ever expect that to happen?"

Tabitha's eyes followed Jim's head nod to a spot across the floor where Rylee and Cason were still locked together in a dance. "Not until recently," she laughed.

Jim nodded, then suddenly burst into a fit of laughter.

"What?" Tabitha questioned.

"I was just thinking about the first time they met."

Tabitha thought for a moment, then laughed again. "Oh, yeah! I'd completely forgotten..."

* * *

Cason whistled. "Who is that?"

"Who is what?" Graham questioned, looking up from the textbook and the last minute homework assignment he was trying to complete.

"Pair of girls. 3 o'clock."

"Dude, you'd better be talking about the blonde one," Graham warned.

"Why?" Cason challenged.

"Because the other is Hawkins' girl."

"Huh?" Jim suddenly questioned at the sound of his name. He'd been too distracted by the sight of Tabitha to pay attention. Until moments ago, he'd hated the uniforms - they were hot and itchy and uncomfortable - but stars above, when he saw Tabitha walking over to him, skirt swishing back and forth across her knees, blue jacket bringing out the color in her eyes even more, he had to admit there were some upsides to them...

"Your girl. Tabitha. The one you're gawking at right now," Graham explained.

Jim glared at him. "I'm not gawking."

"Yeah, okay, whatever," he shook off the statement. "Meanwhile, Cason here is about to steal her right out from under your nose."

"What?"

"I am not!" Cason argued. "Look, Jim, Tabitha's pretty, I'll give you that, but she's not my type."

"Uh... okay?" Jim answered, unsure of whether he was offended or just relieved that he wasn't interested.

"I was talking about the blonde one."

"That's Rylee. Tabitha's roommate," Jim explained.

"Do you know anything about her?" Cason asked.

Jim watched as Tabitha waved goodbye to Rylee before turning to walk towards him. "Only that Tabitha doesn't like her."

"Big help," he mumbled under his breath.

Jim stood up as Tabitha arrived under the shady tree where the boys were currently lounging. "Hey."

"Hey," she smiled.

"Hey!" Cason chimed in.

"Um... hello," Tabitha responded with a glance towards Jim that begged for an explanation.

Cason saw it and decided to explain himself. "Name's Cason. I'm in Jim's engineering class. Listen, I was wondering if you could tell me about your roommate."

"Rylee?" Tabitha asked in surprise.

"Yeah. What's she like, where's she from... does she have a boyfriend?"

"Oh..." Tabitha smiled in understanding. "Honestly, I don't know her that well. She's from Alegria, her favorite color is green, and no, she doesn't have a boyfriend... yet." She ended with a glance over to where Rylee was now talking to a guy, laughing in an outrageously girly way at something he'd said.

"Right. Thanks," Cason said as he got up and headed over to her.

"What...?" Tabitha asked.

Graham laughed. "Don't worry about it. Cason'll hit on anything female." He looked back to the book he had open in his lap and sighed. "Damn it."

"What?" Jim questioned.

"I'm going to have to go to the library to look this up."

"That's what you get for waiting until the last minute."

"Shut up, Hawkins," Graham chuckled as he threw his bag over his shoulder. "We can't all be star students like you."

Jim laughed quietly as he watched him leave, then gestured to the area Graham had just vacated. "Sit down."

Tabitha obliged. "So... star student?"

Jim looked over at her, then scoffed and looked forward again. "It's the Dean's term for me."

"The Dean?" she repeated worriedly. "When did you go see the Dean?"

"I didn't go see the Dean. The Dean came to see me. He interrupted the engineering class I was in to see if I was 'as good as Captain Amelia said'. Then I got to spend the rest of the class explaining that yes, I knew Captain Amelia because I was the boy who found the map to Treasure Planet. It was embarrassing."

"Embarrassing? It sounds like he just made you popular."

"Yeah, but I don't want to _be_ popular. I just want to be a normal student." He sighed. "Before the voyage, at my old school, I was, you know, the bad kid, the troublemaker or whatever, and I was failing and, well... Now, I'm expected to be some kind of genius mastermind all because I figured out how to open that damned ball that Bones gave me."

Tabitha bit her lip, but she couldn't hold back the laugh that escaped her.

"What?" he demanded, turning to face her.

"I'm sorry. That was just kinda funny," she giggled.

Jim glared at her, but a smirk was beginning to form. "You're not helping."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." She took a deep breath to compose herself. "If it makes you feel any better, I had kind of a... well not so much embarrassing, but awkward, start in my last class."

"What happened?"

"Well, it was my first medical class, right?" Jim nodded. "Yeah, well... I'm the only girl."

"Wait, what? Seriously?" he asked in shock, rotating to face her.

"Yeah, that's what I said!" she agreed. "But I think it's because it was the medical class. Most of the girls here are trying to prove that girls can do anything that guys can do - not that I blame them; women spacing is still a relatively new thing - and if they just wanted to be a doctor, then they could stay on land and do that. I don't care about revolutionizing the field of spacing. I just like spacing, and I wanted to be a doctor because - "

Jim raised his eyebrows when she abruptly stopped. "Because...?"

Tabitha looked him in the eye, then her face fell. "Because of Silver." She shrugged. "I mean, he taught me everything I know."

"Oh. Right." Jim hesitated then reached out and grabbed her hand and smiled.

Tabitha looked up and returned the smile. Then sighed and shifted her shoulders uncomfortably in an attempt to change the subject. "I _hate_ these uniforms."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Jim agreed, tugging on the collar of his.

"They're hot and itchy and I feel like I can barely move."

"Yeah..." Jim agreed absent-mindedly, though his gaze had fallen down to her legs. All her antsy movement had shifted the skirt up her leg, revealing more of her thigh. It wasn't scandalous, but it was more of Tabitha's leg than Jim normally saw. "But they're not all bad," he added mischievously.

Tabitha squinted in confusion, then followed Jim's gaze down to the raised hem of her skirt. She quickly pulled the skirt back down, pink dusting her cheeks as she stammered, "I-I'm still not used to being in a skirt."

"I noticed," he smirked.

Tabitha pushed him but Jim just laughed. Just then, a loud smack echoed across the courtyard and the couple (along with everyone else) turned to see Rylee flouncing away angrily and Cason walking back to the tree, rubbing his cheek.

"What did you say to her?" Jim questioned in shock.

"Nothing!" he retorted.

"I find that hard to believe," Tabitha muttered so only Jim could hear.

"Man, that girl can hit!" Cason said, rotating his jaw.

* * *

"... as he found out several more times over the next year or so," Tabitha laughed.

"Yeah," Jim chuckled. "So... when exactly did they figure it out?"

She smirked. "Sometime between when he stopped trying to pick her up as a one night stand and when they began playing this cat and mouse game they've been at..."

* * *

"Oh, man," Rylee moaned as she walked out of the library and into the rain. She shivered, wishing she'd brought her jacket with her, before sighing and rushing out into the storm. She hadn't taken five steps before a noise from somewhere nearby stopped her.

It was the middle of the night, she was tired, she'd spent the better part of the afternoon and night studying... She so badly just wanted to head back to her dorm and fall into her soft, warm bed to sleep, but that noise was tugging at her conscience; it sounded like someone... crying, and she knew she'd never forgive herself if she left them there alone.

Rylee paused in the middle of the sidewalk and waited a moment until she heard the noise again. She followed it around the side of the building to the steps of a back door faculty entrance to the library, where Rylee was mildly surprised to find it was a boy crying. His elbows were resting on his knees and he held his head in his hands, sobbing quietly. Out of compassion, Rylee stepped closer.

"Are you alright?" she asked carefully in an attempt not to scare them.

Her attempt failed when the boy leapt to his feet and looked up at his confronter. "Yeah, I'm fine! I'm - Rylee?"

"Cason..." Rylee returned the statement of surprise.

This was awkward. To say they weren't on good terms would be an understatement. They didn't hate each other, but it was long ago that they'd discovered Cason's player persona would never click with Rylee.

"Um... what" - he cleared his throat - "What are you doing out here?"

"I was going ask you the same thing," she countered.

"Oh, I'm... nothing."

"So... you're okay?"

"Hmm? Me? Oh, yeah! Yeah, I'm fine!" Cason lied unconvincingly.

"Oh. Okay, well I... guess I'll just go then..." Rylee's voice was nervous and unsure.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Go ahead."

She nodded and turned around. She almost made it to the end of the wall when she heard the noise again. Sighing in exasperation of her own kind-heartedness, she turned around. "Okay, I know we aren't, like, on good terms. But... you don't sound okay."

"No, no. I am," he insisted, though this time he couldn't face her.

"You sound like you're crying."

Cason did look up this time. "Me? Psh, no," he shrugged off her comment. "No, I'm not crying. I don't cry. I... I-It was only the rain."

Rylee shot him a look that said he clearly wasn't fooling anyone. He defiantly held her gaze for a moment, then sighed and sank back down onto the steps.

Rylee sighed and slowly approached him. "Cason, I know we aren't exactly friends, but... um, if you want to talk, then I'll listen."

"No, y-you're busy, I'm sure - "

"I'm not," she stated.

He looked up at her. She smiled and took a seat next to him. It took him a minute of gawking before he finally sighed and opened up to her. "I got a letter from home today, and... i-it's my little sister, Cassie - er, Cassandra. She's ill."

"Ill?" Rylee whispered in shock. "Ill how?"

"That's the thing," he swallowed. "They don't know. She's in the hospital and the doctors are doing everything they can to figure it out..." He inhaled a shuddering breath. "But my parents don't want me to leave right now because it's exam week and they're sure that she's going to be okay..."

"Well, they must have a good reason for thinking that."

"But what if it's just wishful thinking? What if something's really wrong with her? If she's in the hospital already, then..." He choked on a sob. "What if something happens and I... I-I never get to see her again?"

Rylee blinked in shock. Here she was, sitting behind the library with a boy who, until just a moment ago, she believed she disliked. And yet now she found herself on the verge of tears herself just watching him cry.

"Cason, I'm... I'm sure she'll be alright," she consoled, placing a hand on Cason's knee. Cason didn't look up so she continued. "How old is she?"

He sniffled. "She's only four. God, I'm..." he gripped his hair at the roots. "I-I'm just so worried about her. Yeah, she can be annoying, but I love her. She's my little sister, you know?"

Rylee didn't say anything, but only because she couldn't think of anything worth saying.

"You think I'm overreacting, don't you?" he laughed in a sad way. "I know I look like a pansy, crying like this - "

"No, no! No, you don't!" she insisted comfortingly. "She's going to be fine. My mom runs a day care for kids around Cassandra's age. They get sick all the time. I can't tell you how many times we thought something was worse than it actually was. It happened a lot, but... the kids were always fine. I'm sure Cassandra will be, too."

Cason turned to face her and Rylee gave him a smile so comforting that he almost found himself smiling. Almost. Instead, he found himself choking on another sob.

They both seemed to hesitate for a moment. Then, as if they'd made a telepathic decision, they moved closer and Rylee wrapped her arms around him at the same time he rested his head against her shoulder, no longer caring if she knew he was crying. And that's where they stayed - in this confused huddle of somewhere between comfort and dislike. For a flicker of a second, Rylee thought she should be regretting this - sitting in the rain instead of sleeping so she could do good on her exams - but then she realized she couldn't. This was exactly where she needed to be.

A strange feeling overcame Cason. He'd never been this close to a girl without it being... physical, and yet, he wasn't put off by the fact that it wasn't this time. It surprisingly didn't feel awkward to be held by a girl that had repeatedly turned him down. He was certain she would smack him at any moment... but that moment never came. No, he was simply being comforted, and he couldn't bring himself to move away from her and the sweet smell of flowers and rain -

"Ugh, I'm sorry," Cason laughed as he sat up. "I can't believe I... Wow. I really didn't mean to - "

"It's fine," Rylee replied. She wrapped her arms around her body for the warmth she needed now that Cason had shifted away again.

"Damn it! I'm really sorry!"

"What?" she asked in surprise as he stood up and began taking off his jacket.

"I made you sit out here in the pouring rain in _that_."

It took only a moment for Rylee to figure out that he was referring to the fact she wasn't wearing a jacket, and was in only a white shirt. She felt her face warm and gratefully accepted the jacket when Cason handed it to her.

"Thanks..." she said quietly.

"It probably won't do much for warmth now, but at least it covers... you."

She flushed again, pulling the jacket around her tightly. It was pretty soaked itself, but it still held the warmth from Cason's body... and it smelled like him.

"God, I really am sorry I made you - "

"You didn't make me do anything," she smiled as she stepped down to join him on the ground. "I voluntee - AH!"

The second her foot touched the slick grass at the bottom of the stairs, Rylee knew she was going to fall. She subconsciously braced herself to hit the ground... but instead found herself held up by one arm around her waist.

"Whoa, you okay?" Cason asked as he pulled her back to her feet.

"Yeah, I'm..."

They were close. They were very close. So close that Rylee could feel the warmth of his breath on her face. So close that Cason realized her eyes were dazzlingly green. Why didn't she pull away? Why didn't he pull her closer?

After another silent decision, Cason released her and they backed away, laughing awkwardly.

"Well, um... thanks," he mumbled.

Rylee smiled and shrugged. He half returned the smile and then started to leave. "Wait!" she cried out. "Don't you want your jacket?"

"Nah. Just give it to me later."

"Oh." Again, he turned to leave, but she just couldn't let him go. "Wait!"

He turned around looking amused. "What?"

"I don't understand," she said, placing her hands on her hips. "You've asked me out at least a dozen times, and every time I've said no. Then tonight, you notice that my shirt is see through, but stay tactful and loan me your jacket, and you catch me to keep me from falling, ending with the perfect opportunity for you to kiss me... and you don't. Why?"

Cason scoffed, but smiled. "I'm not completely inconsiderate, you know. There's more to me than just being a... 'man-whore' I think is the term you girls use for it."

Rylee smiled. "Then why don't you ever show people that?"

Cason raised his eyebrows and grinned. "I just did."

And with that, he left, leaving Rylee standing in the rain, completely debating everything she thought she knew about Cason, while he was silently debating the same things to himself.

* * *

"Cason!"

"Cassie!" Cason replied, going down on one knee to hug the little girl as she raced into his arms.

She laughed hysterically as he stood up and swung her around in a circle. "I missed you!"

"I missed you more," he laughed.

"Did you know I had to go see the doctors?"

"Yeah, I did," he smiled. "And I'm so glad you're better now!"

"Me too! It was boring there!"

Rylee stood off to the side and watched Cason hug his mom and dad before picking up Cassandra again. She smiled, then turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Rylee turned to see Cason racing down the hall after her. "What?"

"Uh..." he began, clearly having not planned what to say next. "Where's your family?"

"Oh... they live too far away to come for these parent visitation day things. I'll see them at Christmas."

"Oh. Okay."

She turned to leave, but he stopped her again. "Wait!"

"Yes?" she laughed.

"I, um, thanks."

"For what?" she smiled.

"For... that night. You were right. She's okay."

"I'm glad."

He laughed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'm still pretty embarrassed about... you know, breaking down like that."

"Don't be," she giggled. "I don't think any less of you because of that."

"Well that's not saying much. You didn't think much of me to begin with," he chuckled.

"I think more of you than you think I think."

Cason blinked at the coy tone in her voice. His body seemed to make the decision before his mine could argue, and before he knew it, he was leaning closer, and then they were kissing. It was so many things - shocking, soft, daring, different - and they both realized it. They quickly pulled away before it turned into anything more confusing.

Rylee smiled, then turned and began to walk away again.

"Wait!" Cason called.

"What?" she laughed at him.

"I don't get it," he said, crossing his arms. "You turn me down at least a dozen times, then you comforted me when I was crying, and then you let me kiss you. Why?"

Rylee smirked. "There's more to be than just being rude to you, you know. I can be nice if I want."

"Then why don't you ever do that?"

"I just did."

They laughed at the repetition just as Cassandra came hurdling down the hall to them.

"Hey, mommy wants - " she stopped at the sight of Rylee. "Who are you?" she demanded.

Cason ruffled the little girls hair. "That was kind of rude."

"Sorry," she apologized. "What's your name?"

Rylee giggled. "I'm Rylee."

"Oh. I'm Cassandra. Cassandra Eleanor Reed." Cassie turned to her brother and 'whispered', "Is she your girlfriend?"

Both of the teens flushed and tried to stammer out an explanation before Cason finally came up with one. "If I tell you, will you keep it a secret?"

"Yes!" the little girl said enthusiastically.

"Okay." Cason bent down and whispered something in her ear.

Cassie glanced up at Rylee, then back to Cason, then nodded. "Well in that case, you can call me Cassie, too!"

"You won't tell, right? Not even mom and dad?" Cason verified.

"Nuh-uh," she shook her head, then mimicked zipping her lips and throwing away the key before skipping back to Cason's parents.

"What did you tell her?" Rylee asked amusedly.

Cason smirked. "It's a secret."

Rylee playfully punched him.

"Ow! Hey, you hit pretty hard for a girl!"

She gasped. "Excuse me! What is that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like!"

"This is precisely the reason we can never date. You are so sexist."

"Okay, first of all, who said I wanted to date you? And second of all, it's a known fact that girls don't hit as hard as guys! That's genetics!"

"Oh, whatever!"

* * *

"...and then I think that argument lasted for about the next year."

Jim laughed. "Yeah that sounds about right."

Tabitha observed the couple in question. "Do you think he really likes her?"

"Well," he began thoughtfully. "Comparing this relationship to all of Cason's others, yeah. He's been going after her for more than a year. He's never anywhere near that hard with anyone else."

"I hope you're right, because Rylee really does like him," she said worriedly. "Whether she'll admit it or not."

Jim and Tabitha watched as a smirking Cason pulled a giggling Rylee outdoors before they turned to face each other.

"Well, I guess they're getting something out of it," Tabitha grinned.

Jim laughed and quickly kissed her. "Come on! I want to dance with you some more!"

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this! I originally planned for it to be focused more on them as a couple now, but I couldn't think of anything really creative, and I'm doing that later with Landon & Isabelle, so I did this instead.**

**If you're wondering why Cassie didn't appear in the last chapter of 'Fearless' when everyone's family is at the Benbow, it was because she hadn't been created yet, so... we'll just say she was at her grandmothers house. :P**

**The chapter title comes from a shirt I got from American Eagle. xD**

**Not sure when the next chapter will be up, but hopefully it won't be long!**

**Thanks!**

**-Emily**

**+Responses to Reviews+**

**anon****: Thank you!**

**NeverTooLate03: I will be writing that chapter... er, soon. Eventually. Sometime before I die. xD Thanks!**

**MistressTaco: Thanks! :)**

**23jk: Glad you liked it :)**

**ADangerousPastime: No problem! I hope you liked this chapter as well! And thanks again for the sketches :D**

**EventHorizon6: No problem! Haha I totally understand. I'm exactly the same way. Glad you like it!**

**Kristy: Well, according to Urban Dictionary, it's called a lemon because 'the term is actually derived from a hentai**** anime in 1984, "Cream Lemon", which told a story about a girl called Ami and her relationships. Since then "Lemon" has been used to refer to all sexually-oriented fanworks, in particular fan-fiction.' Good question! I wondered the same thing myself.**


	6. Love Story

**Sorry it took forever and a day for me to update! Writers block is awful!**

**This chapter was requested by ADangerousPastime, and it focuses on Landon/Isabelle.**

**It's really long, and I think its a bit dues ex machina, but my fingers hurt and I'm tired of typing and I think it's cute, so I hope you guys like it!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Um... th-thanks for dancing with me."

"Thank you for asking me," Isabelle blushed.

They swirled around the room with the other couples, neither quite able to meet the others eyes, each wrapped in their own nervous thoughts.

"Um..." Landon began as he spun Isabelle out. "Sorry. I-I can't think of anything to say... I-I'm not very interesting."

"Tell me what spacing's like!" she suggested eagerly as the music carried her back to him.

"Oh," he said, shocked by her sudden brazenness. "Um, o-okay..."

"I'm sorry," she quickly apologized. "You don't have to if you don't want to. I-I've just always been interested... I didn't mean to sound so - "

"No, it was fine," he smiled. "I'm actually glad to find out I have something to talk about that actually interests you." They both laughed lightly. "Spacing is... well, I don't exactly know how to explain it. It's alright, I guess. My dad's a professor at the academy, and - "

"The what?" Isabelle asked.

"The Interstellar Academy."

"Oh, right, of course. Sorry."

Landon smiled. "No problem. Um... but he went out on voyages with the students a lot, and sometimes I went with him. I... I don't know. I don't think I feel the same way about it that most spacers do..."

"What do you mean?" she asked curiously.

"Well, I enjoy it well enough, I suppose, but I went to the academy more for my dad than because it was what I wanted to do."

"Oh. I understand that."

"Yeah... Whenever I hear Jim and Tabitha and Graham and the others talk about it, they always get this certain... glow about them. They're in love with it. It makes them feel free, exhilerated. I... I just don't feel that way. Like I said, I enjoy it, but... it feels like something's - " He abruptly stopped when his gaze unexpectedly locked with Isabelle's. Her eyes were so green... "Something's missing."

Isabelle gulped. Why was he looking at her like that? No one - and especially not a man - had ever looked at her like that. What did it mean? And why was she enjoying it so much?

Suddenly, Landon stumbled forward against her with a small yelp.

"Oy, if you're on the dance floor, then dance!" a random dog-like alien shouted at them.

"I-I'm so sorry about that," Landon stammered in embarrassment, blushing as he realized how close they now were. "Really sorry. I-I didn't - "

"It's alright." She giggled as they retook their dancing positions. "Had we truly stopped moving?"

Landon chuckled. "According to him, yes."

"I hadn't even realized..." She grinned at him, but her smile quickly faded again as her gaze became far off and distant.

"I-I really am sorry. I'm such a clutz," Landon began apologetically, blaming himself for her sudden change in demeanor. "I didn't mean to upset you. If you'd like to stop - "

"What? Oh, no! No! I'm not upset," Isabelle explained. "I was just thinking about... about what you said. How space made them feel free..."

"What about it?"

"I was... wondering how it would feel to be free."

Landon's brow furrowed. "You don't feel free here?"

Isabelle blinked, then met his gaze and flushed a bright pink. "I'm sorry. I've said too much."

"No, it's alright, really. But what - ?"

"Isabelle!"

The couple abruptly stopped dancing and turned to face a young man, probably in his early twenties, with jet black hair that was slicked back. As he approached, Isabelle abruptly let go of Landon and stepped back a bit.

"Isabelle," the man repeated. "Where have you been? I've been looking all over."

"Well clearly you weren't looking very well," she retorted. "I was with my friends until a few minutes ago when Landon asked me to dan - "

"Landon?" the man repeated, glancing to her dance partner for the first time. "Well, care to introduce us, my dear?"

"Oh," she said dejectedly. "Landon, this is Thomas Ellery - "

"_Sir_ Thomas Ellery," he corrected, taking over the introductions. "And you are?"

"Landon Gallagher," Landon stated simply.

"What? No title?" Thomas laughed.

"Uh, well, I - "

"Landon just graduated from the academy," Isabelle covered. "H-He's going to be a spacer."

"Hmm," Thomas said, eying Landon disapprovingly. "Yes, well, Isabelle, I need to have a word with you. If you'll excuse us, Landon."

"Oh, um..."

Before Landon had time to answer, Thomas had whisked Isabelle away, barely even giving her a chance to glance back apologetically.

* * *

Isabelle finally managed to escape from her suitor's rather touchy-feely grasp, and set off in search of Landon. She quickly spotted him loitering against a wall, drinking a glass of punch and idly observing the couples dancing. Isabelle had the fleeting thought that maybe he was looking for her as well. With a relieved smile, she quickly made her way over to him and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

Landon started, but a smile quickly stretched across his face when he turned to see who was trying to get his attention. "Isabelle! I was wondering where you were."

"Yes, well, I'm very sorry about earlier. I realize that I was quite rude about the whole thing and I didn't mean to be, but I was caught off guard, and, well, I was just wondering if maybe you'd like to try again?"

He blinked at her ramblings before laughing and holding out his hand. "I can't think of a better way to spend my time."

Isabelle smiled and allowed herself to be lead out to the dance floor, her heart jolting a bit when Landon put his hand on her lower back and pulled her closer. They waltzed and spun; he'd catch her in his arms only to spin her back out so he could do it again. She was enjoying herself, but the back of her mind was just waiting for it - the moment that always happened sometime mid-dance. Whichever 'gentleman' she was dancing with would undoubtably lower the placement of his hand on her back again, pull her closer, hint at some innuendo... Sometimes, all it took was a smart comeback or an insistent move to reposition their hand to stop them, but sometimes, nothing you could say or do would change the way they were looking at you or the thoughts you knew were running through their mind that were evidenced by their suggestive comments, as was the case with Thomas.

But that moment never came. Landon remained perfectly gallant through the whole dance, and the next one, and the one after that, and all the ones that followed. When she realized that Landon had no intention of using her or causing her any harm, she couldn't help but laugh a little.

"What?" he smirked, having lightened up a bit through their small talk.

"I was comparing you to the other gentlemen I've danced with."

"Oh? And how do I stand up?"

Isabelle giggled as the song came to an end. "You exceed expectations."

"Isabelle!"

She turned around. "Oh, hello Clarice."

"I'm sorry to interrupt you and... Landon, right?" Clarice asked.

"Yes, this is Landon Gallagher. Landon this Clarice De La Cruz," Isabelle introduced.

"Hello," Landon nodded cordially.

"Pleasure. Isabelle, would you mind joining me for a minute?" Clarice questioned.

"Oh, I would, but, you see, I've already - "

"Go on," Landon encouraged. "Don't stay only on my account."

Isabelle smiled. "Don't... go anywhere. Please."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

With a light blush, Isabelle and Clarice left, leaving Landon alone, sporting a ridiculous smile. Quickly, he realized how peculiar he must look and headed back over to the punch bowl, meanwhile his entire body seemed to feel... lighter. What had gotten into him? Him, the level-headed Landon Gallagher.

He'd liked girls before. He'd had his fair share of dates and even kissed on a couple, but this wasn't the way he'd felt with those girls. He'd liked them, enjoyed their company, had fun, but Isabelle sparked an entirely new realm of feelings within him. He found himself hanging onto her every word, electrocuted by the smallest touch, overwhelmed with the desire to pull her closer, to kiss her, and though she was only a room or two away, he missed her terribly.

It was just... odd. Not that he didn't enjoy the feeling. He did. Immensely. It was more uplifting than anything he'd ever felt before. He felt the way Jim and Tabitha looked when they talked about spacing, as if they could spend their entire life with it and never need a thing anymore, as if they were - What had he said earlier? In love with it.

Landon's own thoughts startled him. In love with...

He quickly shook his head. No, the idea was completely laughable. Love at first sight? Who would believe such a thing? This wasn't a fairytale. He wasn't a prince and she wasn't a princess... No, it just went against all logic.

But when had love ever been a logical thing?

Landon debated back and forth in his head for stars knows how long. Love seemed so... rash, so sudden... but if this wasn't love, what was it? He had to put a name to it, to why he so badly wanted her to be nearer to him, to why he believed she was the most beautiful thing in the whole Etherium...

Finally, he spotted her again, and a strange sort of serenity seemed to flow through his entire body. She really was gorgeous...

"I'm sorry to keep leaving you," Isabelle apologized.

Landon shrugged. "Don't worry about it. Perhaps another dance before someone else can steal you away?"

"Oh, yes, please," she smiled as they once again joined the couples on the dance floor.

Landon couldn't take his eyes off her. She was... enchanting. Her eyes were a green he didn't even know existed until tonight, her hair the orange-red color of fire, her skin pale and blemish free, save for freckles that lightly dusted her nose and cheeks.

"What is it?" she asked, questioning his silence.

Landon shook his head to welcome himself back to reality. "Nothing. I... " he laughed nervously. "Er, would it be too forward of me to say that you're stunningly beautiful?"

Her cheeks darkened to a rosy hue. "No. It isn't. Thank you, Landon."

Once again, their eyes caught each others. Landon was suddenly stuck with only one thought in his head - kiss her. Isabelle's lips were parted in an inviting way, her eyes practically glowing with expectation. He leaned in -

And quickly jerked back. It wasn't proper. He hadn't known this girl for more than a few hours, and they were in front of practically the entire population of the planet. He couldn't... yet.

Isabelle kept her gaze lowered. She understood, and she was glad he'd realized that it was much too soon for them to be kissing, because she'd been too overcome by desire to care. Hesitantly raising her eyes back up to meet his, she felt her body melt beneath his gaze. His eyes were a soft brown, trusting and sincere, his hair the same color, but naturally highlighted from spending so much time outdoors. His skin was a dark tan, a color that normally only farmers or other lower class workers would possess, but it fit so nicely on him. From what little she'd been able to tell from being held in his arms, he had to be quite muscular. If his strong arms were a reflection of the rest of his body, she was in for a treat.

Isabelle suddenly felt the heat rise to her face and avoided his gaze once again. In for a treat? What was she thinking? As if she would ever see Landon in anything less than his uniform. As if she should even be thinking such things...

"Landon!"

The couple jerked around to see Graham and Commodore Aldamae approaching them. "Yes?" Landon asked, more than a little annoyed at having been interrupted again.

"We have to go," the commodore informed him.

"What?" the couple said in unison.

"Tabitha and Jim are gone," Graham added. "We don't know where they are."

Landon knew that wasn't good, especially not with everything that had been surrounding Tabitha recently. "But - "

"Oh no..." Isabelle spoke up guiltily.

"What is it?" Landon asked worriedly.

She wrung her hands nervously. "I know where they are."

"You do? Where?" Graham asked curiously.

"Well, one of the other girls, earlier, stepped on Tabitha's dress, and it ripped. She was quite embarrassed, so I helped her and Jim out a back door," she explained. "I'm sorry, I didn't know it would cause problems."

Commodore Aldamae smiled. "It's alright. We just need to find them. Landon?"

"But..." he began disappointedly.

The commodore began walking away in a manner that made it clear he should follow. With his heart sinking all the way to the floor, he turned back to Isabelle. "I'm really sorry. I... I wish I could stay..."

"I understand," she said quietly. "They're your friends."

"Yes. Well, um... goodbye," he mumbled.

"Goodbye, Landon," she returned in a sad whisper.

Landon started to follow the commodore, but Graham lingered for a moment longer. "Listen, I've already asked your friend Clarice, and August and Theodore have already asked their dates, if they'd like to join us for lunch tomorrow. We hadn't told Landon yet, but I'm not sure he'd get up the courage to ask you anyway, so would you like to join us? He'd love it, I know. He really likes you."

"Oh," Isabelle gasped. "Um, well, yes, I... I can try - "

"Great! Got to go!"

Graham rushed off in the direction that the others had left moments before, leaving Isabelle to replay that one line in her head:

_He really likes you._

"Isabelle, my dear," Thomas suddenly interrupted her from her happy train of thoughts. "What are you doing?"

"Oh. Nothing. I was... distracted, I suppose."

"Yes, well, now that that Landon boy is gone, perhaps you'd be willing to dance with me?" he said in a tone that suggested this was more of a command than a request.

Isabelle's entire posture fell. "Of course, Thomas."

* * *

"But why didn't you tell me you'd invited her?"

"Because then you would have been acting like this all night _and_ all day," Theodore stated.

Landon stopped his incessant pacing across the floor of the restaurant and turned to look at the others. "What is the matter with me?" Landon begged.

"I imagine that you fancy her," Cason smirked.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Rylee rolled her eyes.

"Relax. She likes you just as much," Graham said.

"What?" the love-sick boy gasped. "She does? How do you know?"

"Because when I invited her to join us, her face lit up," Graham smiled. "You could have told her she'd won the Interstellar Lottery, and she wouldn't have looked that happy."

They laughed lightly just as a group of girls, escorted by a couple of adults, entered the room. The boys all stood up and addressed their respective dates... except Landon. He stood back, surveying the group in search of the red-head, but there was no sign of her. Just as his mind began to ramble off explanations - that she was about to walk through the door, that he'd simply overlooked her - Clarice walked over to him.

"Landon?"

"Yes?" he answered warily.

"Isabelle couldn't come."

Landon's heart sank for the second time in under 12 hours. He should have known it was too good to be true.

"She's very sorry. She wanted to come, truly," Clarice consoled. "And she asked me to give you this."

Frowning, a solid lump forming in the back of his throat, he took the small envelope from her. Reading over the outside, he saw it was stationary from "Lady Isabelle Fontaine"... and realized he hadn't even known her last name until that moment. He'd fallen for a girl he knew only the first name of. Sighing at his own hopelessness, he opened it, fearing what he was about to read...

_1415 Sycamore Lane_

_Tonight._

_Don't knock._

He read it three times before looking back up at Clarice. "What does this mean?"

"I don't know. I didn't read it," she answered.

Landon nodded confusedly and, quickly dismissing himself from the rest of the group, headed back to the ship to work things out on his own, or try to at least.

* * *

It was not easy to discretely try to find out where someone lived, especially when you were a male from out of town asking about the residence of a female after night had already fallen. He'd waited, albeit impatiently, all afternoon for night to fall before he set out to find her. Little did he know how much trouble he would have trying to sneakily ask for directions to this address. Eventually though, he managed to wheedle an answer out of the same innkeeper that Tabitha and Jim had talked to just days before and set off to find it as quickly as he could. Even at a run he didn't get there until well after dark. Silently cursing himself, he tiptoed up to the house, the realization of just how dangerous - and possibly stupid - this was hitting him.

"What now?" he asked himself. _Don't knock_. Then how was he supposed to see her?

It was only a moment before he saw the silhouette of a girl, of Isabelle. He had no idea what made him so certain it was her; it could have been any girl. He wasn't even sure he was at the right house, but something told him it was her, and that he had to get her attention somehow.

Shuffling his feet anxiously, he noticed the pebbles that littered the ground. He picked one up, fingering it against his palm and tossing it up and down a couple of times before sighing.

"Stars above, let this work," he prayed quietly.

And with that, he tossed the rock up to the window. Landon winced, waiting for the sound of broken glass or yelling, but instead he was greeted with a soft, "Landon? Is that you?"

His heart did a summersault as he stepped out of the shadows to look up at her. "Isabelle... I - "

"Oh you're here!" she smiled happily. Just as Graham had mentioned, she seemed to light up at the sight of him. "I thought you wouldn't come."

"No, no, of course I would! Er, I did. It just took me some time to find your house and get here," he explained. "Why couldn't you have just come to dinner?"

"Oh," she sighed. "I couldn't."

"Why?"

"Because..." Isabelle trailed off, glancing behind her shoulder.

"What is it?" he asked nervously, taking a step back in preparation to run if need be.

She turned back to him. "Turn around."

"What?" Landon chuckled. "Why?"

"So I can climb down," she answered matter-of-factly.

"Why not use the door?"

"I'll explain after I'm down there."

Raising an eyebrow, he turned around and waited. It wasn't a minute later before she was tapping him on the shoulder. "Follow me," she whispered as she grabbed his hand.

Landon's heart leapt at the touch and he felt his face warm when he noticed she was in her nightclothes. She had a robe on, but it was still probably less than he should be seeing her in. "Wh-Where?"

"The garden. No one will see us there."

They made their way around her house and sprinted out into the gardens, ducking behind a hedge at the first chance.

"Sorry about that," she panted. "But if I get caught with you, it's... going to be a problem."

"What... do you mean?" he breathed.

She sank down onto the grass and Landon took a seat beside her.

"I'm sorry..." she said, her voice closer to normal now. "I... I should have told you. Though, I don't know when I would have..."

"What?" he asked anxiously. "What is it?"

"Well, it's... it's Thomas."

"Thomas Ellery? Oh, sorry, _Sir_ Thomas Ellery," Landon mocked bitterly.

Isabelle laughed lightly. "Yes. You see, he's my suitor. He's been courting me for several months now and, well, to everyone here, it's rather serious."

Landon observed her warily. She was picking at the leaves on a nearby bush, not making eye contact with him. "That's why you couldn't come to dinner?"

She nodded. "My father didn't think it was appropriate to be seen with you. It would cause quite a scandal. Though not as much as if I'm caught out here with you now," she laughed in embarrassment.

"But I'm glad you're here," he told her, reaching out for her hand. "I-I'm so glad you sent that note. When you didn't show up with the rest of your friends, I was... disappointed, I suppose. Possibly more than I should have been..."

"I so wanted to come," she said apologetically.

Landon smiled. "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad I get to be with you now." She smiled and looked away. "So... Thomas Ellery?"

She sighed. "I don't like him, if that's what you're concerned about."

"Then why don't you break it off with him?"

"I wish it was that simple, but this relationship was arranged by our fathers."

"Then tell your father - "

"I've tried," she sighed. "He doesn't understand. The word 'love' means nothing to him when it comes to marriage. I know he's just trying to take care of me, and Thomas would certainly be able to provide for me, at least materialistically, but..." She bit her lip to hold back tears. "I don't love him, and he doesn't love me. It's only lust that's kept him around this long, as he's made clear on a multitude of occasions." Silent tears began to stream down her cheeks. "But I don't want to marry him! He isn't kind or respectful or anything... anything like you..."

Landon's jaw dropped at her statement. "Wait, marry him? Are you... betrothed?"

She shook her head and sniffled. "No, but naturally an engagement would be the next step in our relationship, and the way everyone keeps hinting about it..."

"I see," he said seriously.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed quietly. "I shouldn't have done this to you. I knew that nothing could happen between us, but I lead you on anyway. I couldn't help it! You're the sweetest man I've ever met. You were so considerate and kind... a-and gallant, and I just couldn't bring myself to step away from you. I know I probably sound crazy for saying this, but... I-I've never felt this way about anyone but you, Landon, a-and Graham said that you liked me as well, and... And now I'm crying like a child in front of you! I can't imagine what must be running through your head right now. You must think I'm - "

Landon kissed her. For once, he ignored every logical part of his mind, every part that told him this was wrong and dangerous and improper, and listened only to the part that had been telling her to kiss her since he'd first laid eyes on her. He waited, to be slapped, to be pushed away, to be shouted at... but Isabelle did none of these things. Instead, she sighed and seemed to melt against him. Landon's lips curled into an unstoppable smile, unable to imagine a more perfect moment.

"I-I'm so sorry, Isabelle," he apologized when logic once again took control. "You're dating, practically engaged to someone. I shouldn't have... I'm sorry, but I... You're just so... P-Please forgive me."

"Forgive you? I should be thanking you," she said breathlessly. "No one's ever kissed me like that. Landon, that was... you are..."

Landon chuckled. "I'm glad I'm not the only one at a loss for words."

Isabelle giggled and launched herself into another kiss, running her hands across his chest. Landon eagerly pulled her closer, unashamed that this was without a doubt the most scandalous thing he'd ever done. If she didn't care, he didn't care.

"I-I'm sorry to say this, really," he laughed when they finally pulled apart. "But I should probably get back to the ship."

"Oh, yes. Heavens, what time is it?" she asked in a panicked voice.

"Uh... quarter to midnight," he answered, checking his watch. "Wow, I _really_ need to go."

"Me too," she said as she stood up. "But, Landon?"

Something told him he would never get sick of hearing her call out his name. "Yes?"

"Tomorrow?"

He smiled. "Same time, same place?"

She nodded. He placed a quick kiss on her cheek, then rushed off. Heart racing and cheeks undoubtably flushed, Isabelle wandered dreamily back to the house.

"Are you just eager to be the talk of the town?"

Isabelle gasped and looked up to see her older brother reclined on the front porch swing. "Wh-what - "

"Stars, I hope you like him, Izi," he sighed. "You have no idea what you're getting into."

She frowned. "Christian, I'm not a child. I know perfectly well what I'm doing."

"Really?" he raised his voice. "Because it seems to me like you're about to get in way over your head. You know that Thomas in due to propose to you, and yet you're sneaking around in the gardens in the dead of night with a boy you've known for a single day."

Isabelle flushed and looked down guiltily. "Christian..."

"Whatever you're going to ask me to do, the answer is - "

"Please, Christian," she begged. "Just listen." He sighed and crossed his arms expectantly. She trudged up the few steps so that she too was on the porch, then took a deep breath. "You know how I feel about Thomas."

"The same way I do. You hate him, and I don't blame you, but Izi - "

"Stop! I know! I know how scandalous this is, but please, just - " She walked over and sat next to him. "His name's Landon Gallagher and I've never felt this way about anyone else in my entire life. Don't you dare try to tell me that this is because I'm young either, because I know that I am, but I also know that this isn't just some crush or a need to do something daring. I... I truly care about him."

Christian searched her eyes before finally sighing and shaking his head. "You know he won't be staying long. He's a spacer. He'll leave."

"I know," she said, placing her hand on her brothers arm. "So please just let me enjoy this while I can."

Christian debated for a moment, then smiled and held out his arms. Isabelle laughed and fell gratefully into his embrace.

* * *

Landon made it to her house and the garden much easier the next night. Whistling quietly to himself, he stopped dead in his tracks when he found, not Isabelle, but a man waiting for him. He froze, unsure of what to do or say. He really had no way of explaining why he was there.

"Relax, Landon," the man said. "I know why you're here."

"You do? I mean, who are you? How do you know my name? Where's Isabelle?" he demanded.

"I'm her older brother, Christian. I know the whole story, and I've agreed to let her keep seeing you, despite the fact her reputation is on the line," he said darkly. "She'll be out here momentarily, but I needed to talk with you first."

"Oh," he said lamely. "Um, o-okay. What - "

Christian stepped forward, until he was looming over Landon. "What exactly are your intentions?"

"My intentions?" Landon gulped.

"I've seen how your friends treat the other girls. It's clear what they've got on their mind, and that's between them, but if you're after the same thing with Izi - "

"Wait, what? No! No, I'm not..." he sighed. "I'm not after a one night stand or something, if that's what you're asking." Christian eyed him disbelievingly. "It's true! Look, I really care for her. I have no intention of hurting her in anyway, I swear it."

"But you'll be leaving soon, correct? And then what?"

"I... I don't know, I hadn't actually thought that far ahead yet..."

"Landon, this can't escalate. You know she has a suitor. The two of you can't be a couple, and you're going to leave, so what exactly are you getting out of this?" Christian demanded.

Landon looked away guiltily. Her brother was right, so what was he getting out of this? "I don't know..." He glared back up at Christian. "But I swear on my life I'm not using her, and I'm not interested in ruining her life or her reputation in any way."

Christian suddenly smiled. "I can see why she likes you so much."

Landon grinned just as another voice spoke up. "Thank you, Christian. Now can we please have some privacy?"

"Of course," Christian laughed, kissing her on the top of her head before walking away.

"Sorry," Isabelle laughed quietly. "He's very protective."

"Don't worry," Landon grinned as he took her hand. "I'm just glad you're here."

That's how the couple spent their nights. Every night he could, Landon would leave the ship and his friends behind to spend time with Isabelle. Isabelle would sneak out of her house after quickly making sure that Christian would cover for her if it came up (though thankfully, it never did). Then the two of them would talk and laugh, holding hands, exchanging quick (and not so quick) kisses. With every new detail he discovered about her, every secret she disclosed, Landon became more and more convinced that this actually was love... but there was always that logic that tugged on him, reminding him that it couldn't be. That she could never be his.

"What is it?" Isabelle asked one night when Landon has seemed especially moody.

Landon looked down to where she was laying against his chest, fingering the buttons on his shirt. He ran his hand through her auburn curls and sighed. "You know how much I care about you, don't you?"

She turned and looked down at him. "Of course I do. I care for you just as much."

"Right," he laughed nervously. "Well, I was wondering - this is only theoretical, of course, but... what if... we got married? So that you wouldn't have to marry Thomas?"

Isabelle's eyes widened. "What?"

"I-I just mean... could we? If I was to talk to your parents - or ask your father, I suppose - a-and ask to marry you... i-is it possible?"

She smiled sadly. "It isn't. You're..." she sighed. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you're... not exactly of the same social class as me. I'm a 'lady' and, well, as Thomas pointed out, you don't have a title." She brushed his hair away from his eyes. "If you were to talk to my father, he would not only refuse to let us get married, but he'd make sure we never saw each other again. He's very... particular when it comes to who I should be seen with. That's another reason I'm with Thomas - social status."

"Oh." Landon laughed uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, I... probably sound completely insane."

"No," she giggled. "You sound completely adorable."

"I'd just been thinking about how, you know, pretty soon, I'm going to have to - "

"No, please don't," she begged, shaking her head. "Please don't talk about what we're going to have to do. I know, and I don't want to think about it."

"But, Isabelle - "

"Please..." she whispered, squeezing his hand tightly. "Please don't. Not right now."

Landon closed his eyes and sighed. "Alright, love. Alright."

She lay back down against him, savoring every moment she got to be this close to him, to hear his heart beat, to feel his fingers gently skimming across her skin. Landon just felt guilty, for both of them. He knew this couldn't last, but he couldn't tear himself away. He wanted to soak up as much time with her as he could so that he could remember the sound of her voice, the smell of her hair, the feel of her lips on his, even if all he would walk away with was a memory...

"Landon!"

Only when he was jolted awake did he realize he'd fallen asleep. "Huh? What?"

"You have to go! I have to go!" Isabelle said hastily.

Why was it so hot? And so bright? Why was it... daylight? "What? We - "

"We fell asleep! It's morning and Thomas is - " She froze. "Oh no."

"What?" he asked anxiously, but then he heard the voices to.

Peering carefully around the hedge, they were able to see Thomas and another man, presumably his father, approaching the door to Isabelle's house.

Landon turned to her. "You have to go."

"I know that, but how - ?"

"I'll boost you up to your window," he volunteered, dragging her sneakily to the side of her house.

"But what if they catch you?" she whispered.

"I can get out of it. I'm worried about you."

Isabelle nodded thankfully and allowed Landon to boost her up through her window. "See you tonight?" he asked.

"Same time, same - oh!" she gasped, turning away from the window. "Hello, Margaret."

Landon knew Margaret was Isabelle's lady's maid and knew that this was his chance to get out of there; he wasn't going to get to say anything else to her until tonight. Staying flush against the side of the house, he snuck around, avoiding windows, and peered around to the front of the house to see if the coast was clear. Thomas, the other man, and Christian were standing on the porch. Christian caught a glance of Landon who silently pleaded for help.

"Ah, yes, come in, come in," Christian said, welcoming the men into the house.

"Thank you, Christian," Thomas said as he stepped indoors.

Christian turned to look at Landon. 'GO!' he mouthed.

'Thank you!' Landon silently returned before taking off down the road.

* * *

That day was the most stressful day so far for both of them. On Landon's side, Rylee had been captured and he and the other boys had all been injured. On Isabelle's, Thomas had finally done what she'd been dreading since the night she met Landon.

It took all her efforts not to cringe when Thomas wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her much closer than she was comfortable with. With their engagement now definitive, he seemed as amorous as ever. She tried to focus on something outside of her house - on Landon, pretending she was in the garden, laying side by side with him, listening to his amusing anecdotes about he and his friends at the academy...

But when Thomas kissed her, she couldn't withdraw from it. She was flooded with remorse, apologizing inwardly to herself and Landon that she would ever let this happen. She knew it would, but she'd been praying for a miracle, that something would go wrong, that something would change...

"Izi?"

Isabelle owed her brother so much. Silently thanking him for interrupting Thomas before his hands could begin to wander, she turned to look at him.

"Are you feeling quite alright now?"

She blinked, but quickly caught on. "Oh, I'm afraid not. I still don't feel quite like myself."

"Whatever is the matter?" Thomas asked, sounding almost accusatory.

"Isabelle slept in this morning because she wasn't feeling well," Christian snapped. "Maybe you'd like to lie down?" he hinted.

"Yes, that would be nice," she sighed. "Goodbye, Thomas."

As soon as Christian had escorted her out of the room and into the hallway, the tears started. She kept them to a minimum until they were upstairs and in her bedroom, where he finally embraced her and held her close as she began to sob.

"I don't want to marry him," she cried against his chest.

"I know, Izi. I don't want you to marry him, but there's no other choice," he said solemnly.

"Christian, I need you to do something for me."

"Anything."

She looked up at him, her eyes focused and determined. "When Landon comes tonight, send him away."

"What?" he gasped.

"I can't do it anymore!" Isabelle practically shouted. "It's hard enough already. I can't tell him that I'm engaged. I just can't. I don't want to see him that heartbroken. Please don't make me..."

"Okay, okay," he agreed, pulling her back to him. "I'll tell him you aren't feeling well tonight, but you're going to have to tell him at some point. He needs to hear it from you."

Christian gently kissed her temple before dismissing himself. Isabelle choked on a sob and sank helplessly onto her bed.

* * *

"Isabelle isn't feeling well."

Landon blinked. "What? But she was just fine this - "

"I know, but something overcame her during the day, and she's not up for company. She asked me to tell you," Christian explained matter-of-factly.

Landon was tired, covered in dirt and sweat and blood, and he'd run all the way here. "Well, why can't... I mean... " He sighed heavily. "I really need to talk to her."

He'd been thinking a lot, and finally made the decision. He had to tell her the truth about why they were there, about Tabitha, about the fortune... about why he could have died.

Not only that, but he had something he was going to ask her...

Christian smirked. "You look like you took one hell of a beating to get here."

Landon laughed breathlessly, placing his hands on his knees. "Yeah, well, I kind of did."

"Well, I'm sorry," he said in all seriousness. "But she simply isn't up for it tonight. She's resting in her room as we speak. Perhaps the breeze from her open window will help her feel better and she'll be well enough tomorrow."

Landon squinted at the man in confusion. Christian stared at him pointedly and Landon's eyes widened as he caught on.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm supposed to join our parents for dinner at the Ellery residence. Goodnight, Landon."

"Yeah..." Landon mumbled. He waited until he could no longer hear Chrstian's horse's hoofbeats before rushing over and scaling the wall to her room. He didn't stop, or pause long enough to let himself think about what might happen, he just climbed. He had to see her.

When his boots hit the hardwood floor of her room, Isabelle jumped off her bed with a loud gasp.

"I'm sorry," he immediately apologized.

"L-Landon? What are you doing here?"

"I... I-I had to see you. If you don't feel well, I understand, but I - Have you been crying?" he questioned.

Isabelle lowered her gaze, but couldn't deny that she had. It was so blatantly obvious. "Landon... You can't be here."

Landon started. "Well... I know it's not exactly proper, but we've kind of been doing improper things for a while now, and the rest of your family's at dinner, so there's no risk of us being caught... I-I didn't think you would mind."

"No, it isn't that," she choked. "Landon, I... I can't see you anymore."

Landon was certain that his heart stopped, that time froze, that he was hallucinating... "What?" he asked so quietly that he almost didn't hear it himself.

"What happened to you?" she whispered, forgetting his question when she noticed his disheveled appearance.

"Our ship was attacked," he explained flatly.

"Attacked?" she gasped. "By who?"

He sighed and rambled off a short explanation that ended with Isabelle gawking at him from across the room. Neither of them had moved. They couldn't, because they didn't know which direction to move. Closer, farther apart...

"That's why I had to talk to you," he explained earnestly. "I realized that... I could have died tonight, and you never would have seen me again. And I couldn't risk that happening again without telling you that... I love you."

Isabelle's reaction was not the one he'd been hoping for. She sank down onto the bed and started to cry, "Landon, please. Don't do this."

"Wait, please," he said kneeling in front of her. "I... I think I figured out how to get you out of this... relationship thing you're in with Thomas." Isabelle's eyes widened and he smiled at her. "Isabelle, I... I know we haven't..." He sighed. "This is harder than I thought..."

"Landon, what - ?"

He stopped her with a finger to her lips. "Okay, I'm... I'm just going to ask it and I'm - wow I can't believe I'm doing this..." Landon took her hands in his and looked up at her. "Isabelle, we haven't known each other that long, but I've never felt this way about anyone. I'm in love with you. Completely. Head over heels. I know it sounds crazy, but I can't imagine being with anyone else. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I would do anything not to lose you. I can't bear to think of you married to someone else, so I..." He shifted nervously. "Well, I don't have a ring or anything, but I... Isabelle, will you - No?"

Isabelle was shaking her head insistently, pleading with him not to ask her. "Don't. Don't say it. Please. I can't - "

"What is it?" No answer. "Are you saying that... you don't love me?" No answer. He softly turned her face back to look at him. "Look at me. Look me in the eye and tell me that you don't love me."

"I can't!" she cried, jerking out of his grasp and standing back up. He followed, watching her pace around the room. "I can't because I do. Of course I love you, Landon. I love you more than anyone else in the Etherium. I've loved you since the moment Tabitha asked me to dance with you." The both laughed lightly. "Landon, I don't want to do this, but I just..." Isabelle met his gaze. "Thomas proposed. I'm engaged to be married."

All he could do was stare. He knew this day was coming. He'd known it all along, but now that it was here... he thought it might kill him. How was it possible to love someone this much, but not be able to be with them? No. It just couldn't be. This was a dream. A horrible, horrible dream, but one that he would wake up from. He'd find out he still had more time to spend with her, that he had time to come up with a way for them to be together. No, this wasn't the end.

"Well, we could run away! We'll leave. We can travel to the other side of the Etherium if we have to, where no one will ever find us. I'll protect you. Just forget about Thomas and come with me."

Isabelle swallowed and shook her head. "I can't Landon. I can't leave. You know I would if I could, but it simply isn't possible. I'm 16. I can't leave the planet or get married without my father's permission, and he would never understand."

Anger and love and disappointment all fought for a place, but one look at Isabelle on the verge of tears again replaced it all with the need to comfort her. Landon carefully walked over to her and ran the back of his hand across her cheek.

She looked up, tears streaming down her face. "I love you, Landon. I love you, I do, I swear it - "

"Shh, I know, love. I know," he calmed her. "I love you, Isabelle."

Landon held her. He held her until she stopped crying and was able to take a deep breath. He held her even after that. He wouldn't let her go. He would fight for her. He would do whatever it took to make sure that she never left his arms, unless she wanted to leave them, witch he prayed to the stars would never happen.

"You would marry me, just to make sure I didn't spend the rest of my life with Thomas?"

"Well, not just for that." Landon pulled her back and looked down at her, smiling. "Isabelle, I... I'd give anything to be able to say that you're mine."

Isabelle smiled for the first time that night. "I am yours, Landon."

The kiss they shared was bittersweet. They had every reason to believe that this was the last night that they would be together. Landon had to go back to his friends and help solve the clue, and Isabelle was... engaged. The word tasted like vinegar, to both of them, and sent a strange chill of distaste through them, but they didn't focus on that. They focused on each other, on this moment, on the way they felt together, on the contradictory feelings of peace and excitement that flooded them when they were near.

As the kiss escalated to something more, Landon found himself throwing caution to the wind. He didn't think about the possible repercussions; all he could think of was how right this all felt, of how even logic now was telling him that she should be his. Isabelle no longer cared about her reputation or her family's name or anything. Let them be ruined - she didn't care. She cared about Landon, about how tender and caring and gentle he was towards her. He would never do anything to hurt her. He loved her, and she loved him.

"Isabelle?" Landon breathed, carefully pressing kisses against her neck.

Isabelle closed her eyes, grasping tightly onto his shoulders. "Yes?"

"Promise me something."

"Anything."

He pressed his hand against the small of her back, just as he had when they were dancing, and looked deeply into her eyes. "Promise me that you're doing this for you. Not for me, or anyone else you know." He moved his other hand around the back of her neck. "Promise me that you won't regret anything."

"I will never regret a single moment spent with you," she said quietly.

That was all the incentive he needed to pull her passionately into the next kiss of the night.

* * *

That was the last night the two of them spent together. Isabelle kept her promise and didn't regret a single thing. How could she? It had more perfect that anything she could ever imagine happening with Thomas. She smiled wryly when she thought back to the night she thought she'd never see Landon in anything less than his uniform. She still couldn't understand how someone who looked to be so tough could be so... compassionate. He was muscular, toned, not to mention handsomer than she thought possible, but when he held her, she'd simply felt... safe, and the closer he held her, the safer she felt. There was no intimidation factor with Landon, no worrying that he might her, no concern that he was simply using her. He was tender, and passionate, and everything she knew Thomas would never be toward her. It was something she would never experience again, and so she committed it all to memory, from the deep sound of his voice to the way his hands had felt as they caressed her body. She'd memorized everything down to the tiniest detail. She didn't want to risk forgetting a single second of that night. When Landon left, it would be all she had left to remember him by.

She almost didn't go to the spaceport to see him off. She was perfectly fine with having her last memory be of that night they spent together... but she soon realized she shouldn't throw away the last chance she would have to see him. Besides, it would break his heart if she wasn't there, and she couldn't do that to him again.

Despite himself, Landon found his heart racing when Isabelle arrived with the rest of her friends to see them off. He raced down the dock to her, having to physically restrain himself from kissing her there. He pulled her away from her friends and launched into the speech he'd been running through his head for days.

"I don't want to leave. You know I don't want to leave. Isabelle, I can't live without you. I... I want so badly to be with you, forever. Please, love... come with me."

Isabelle swallowed and shook her head. "I can't Landon. I can't leave. You know I would if I could, but it simply isn't possible. A-and besides, there's Christian, and my friends..." She was simply grasping at straws now, and they both knew it.

Landon's shoulders slumped. "No, I know. I just... thought I'd ask, one more time before I..."

Isabelle choked. "I'm so sorry. You have no idea how much I wish I could... I love you. Please, please understand. Please, don't be mad. Please..."

"I'm not mad, love. I could never be mad at you." He cupped his hands over her cheeks and wiped away the tears with his thumbs. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

He placed a short, sweet kiss against her lips before anyone could notice then pulled her into a hug. She threw her arms tightly around his neck and returned it gratefully.

"I'll come back, Isabelle," he whispered into her ear. "I'll figure something out and come back. I swear it."

* * *

Isabelle returned home that afternoon, only to be greeted by, not her parents or her brother, but Thomas.

"Oh, Thomas, I... didn't expect to see you here," she said, discretely wiping at her face to make sure there were no visible tears.

"It's a surprise, my dear," he said with a smile that made her cringe inwardly.

"It certainly is, but... Wh-Where is my family?"

"Out for a walk in the park. We have the place to ourselves for a little while," he said suggestively.

Isabelle blanched. "Yes, w-well, I-I'm afraid I'm not feeling up to par, so if you'll excuse me - "

"Nonsense!" he cried, grabbing her hand as she tried to walk out of the room. "We have wedding arrangements to make."

Isabelle fought back more tears and turned to look at him. "I understand that, but right now I - "

Thomas pulled her to him harshly. She gasped at the force of it but he only smirked at her. "I am exceedingly excited about our wedding." He twisted her fingers through her hair. "Or, more importantly, our wedding night."

Isabelle blushed and ducked away from his hand. "Thomas, I'm - "

"You don't know how long I've had my eye on you," he said deeply, kissing her neck. "It's taken all of my restraint not to ravish you so far."

"Y-Yes, well, I - " she stammered nervously, trying to pry herself away. "I-I'm afraid you'll have to keep restraining, until we're married."

"Oh, but why, my dear?" he asked slyly. "You are mine, now."

That was it.

She pushed him away. "I am not _yours_! You do not own me!"

His eyes pierced her. "I would not speak so brazenly. You should show your future husband some respect."

"I'm showing you all the respect you deserve! And I'd rather die than have you for a husband!"

Isabelle didn't care anymore. She was tired of bowing to the will of everyone around her. If she was going to have to marry this man, then she would kill herself before she let him put a finger on her. She wanted him to know just how much she loathed him.

Her will seemed iron strong until Thomas stepped forward and grabbed her wrists, making her cry out in pain.

"Stay quiet," he demanded as he pushed her onto the couch. She tried to get up, but he held her down.

Isabelle's screams were interrupted when he kissed her. She turned her head to catch her breath and smacked him. Thomas glared at her, pinning her down beneath his body and covering her mouth with one of his hands. Isabelle tried to scream, to cry out for anyone, to take a breath, but he was too strong. This time, she didn't withdraw herself. She didn't think of something else and ignore what was happening - she fought. She fought with all she had, kicking and punching and anything she could to get him off.

Suddenly, the weight was lifted off her and she was able to gasp in a deep breath. She looked around to see what had happened and found Christian holding up Thomas by the collar, wearing a look of hatred that frightened even her. Without a word, Christian punched him and Thomas dropped to the floor.

"Christian!" she gasped, rushing to him.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "Are you alright? What happened? Did he hurt you?"

Isabelle shook her head and Christian sighed, but kept a hold of all the angry tension in his body.

"Oh my!"

The couple looked up to see Margaret standing in the doorway observing the scene that lay before her.

"Margaret," Christian began, not pausing for a moment. "Go to Isabelle's room and pack up her clothing and any other necessities."

"But where is the lass - ?"

"Go! I shall explain later, but time is of the essence."

Margaret jumped a little at his tone, but nodded and left the room to obey.

"Where am I going?" Isabelle asked quietly.

Christian smiled. "We've got to get you to the spaceport."

"But... why?"

He raised his eyebrows with a smirk. "You do want to see Landon, don't you?"

She sighed. "Landon's already gone."

"Exactly. Which is why time is of the essence. We have to get you on the next ship to Montressor, or as near as we can get."

Isabelle blinked. "Wh-what? But I-I'm only - "

"16. I know, Izi. I am your brother after all," he laughed. "I did my research on this, unlike you."

"What are you talking about?"

You are allowed to leave if you have permission from a parent - " He grinned. " - _o__r_ a relative over the age of 21."

Isabelle gaped at him. "Christian, you - "

"I'm 22, aren't I?" Christian smiled and pulled out a document from his inner coat pocket. "Here. It will get you onto any ship in the port."

"But... mom and dad. What will they say?"

"I'll explain everything and take the blame," he assured her. "You have nothing to worry about except getting to Montressor as quick as you can."

Isabelle threw her arms around her brother. "You're the greatest. I'll come back soon, I promise."

"I know you will, Izi, but you had better be Mrs. Landon Gallagher when you do."

* * *

Landon lay awake in his bed at the Benbow. He was at his wit's end. He'd believed that anything could be done if you put you're mind to it, but this... this couldn't. He had no way of gaining Isabelle. He'd gone through every plan, every scenario, every possibility, and there was nothing. And it didn't help that his parents, or his father at least, hardly believed him. He understood where they were coming from - young love was a temperamental thing - but this wasn't just young love. This was love, in all senses of the word. This would not fade - that he was absolutely sure of.

For the first time in his life, Landon felt completely hopeless.

Which is why when Cason came bounding into his room, waking up his entire family, he hardly even listened.

"You have to get down here!" he'd shouted, shaking Landon.

"Ow, stop shaking me!" Landon cried, throwing the covers back and sitting up.

"Come on!"

Cason had pulled the stumbling Landon down the hall to the steps. "What is it?" he yawned. "What is so important that it can't wait 'till - "

He froze.

He was dreaming. He had to be. Isabelle wasn't at the Benbow. What would she be doing here? No, this was a dream, a hallucination. Could heartbreak make you hallucinate things?

But she looked so real... even in the dark, her hair radiated like heat and her eyes seemed to sparkle. She was disheveled and shaken and... and still the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"Isabelle?"

Isabelle gulped down her fears. She had not traveled for two weeks on a ship of strangers to lose it now. "L-Landon... I - "

She was real. He knew it as soon as he heard her voice. No dream could sound that sweet. All his fears seemed to melt and cool his body and for the first time in as long as he could remember, he felt relaxed. He didn't care why she was here, only that she was.

The next thing either of them knew, they were kissing. Isabelle wanted to cry from joy. His hands against her face, his lips, the way he smelled - it was all a thousand times better than she remembered. She knew she must look horrendous - her hair was tangled, her face dirty and tear streaked, and she was in need of a shower - but Landon didn't seem to care. Landon didn't seem to care about anything but the fact that she was there.

"What - what are you doing here?" He grinned, running his fingers through her hair.

"I made a huge mistake. I should have just come with you. I'm sorry I - " But before she could explain that she hadn't known about the 'relative over 21' rule, they were interrupted.

"Landon?"

Everyone in the room turned to look at the man and woman standing on the stairs, whom Isabelle presumed were his parents. Isabelle felt her face warm at the inquisitive gaze they were sending her.

"Dad... this is Isabelle," he explained, wrapping an arm around her waist in a way that suggested he had no intention of ever letting her go.

"I figured as much, seeing the way you just kissed her," his father returned. Isabelle noticed that she wasn't the only one blushing anymore; Landon's cheeks were just as pink as hers. "Would she care to explain why she's here?"

Landon did a double take of Isabelle and his parents, unsure of what to say. The rest of their friends quietly dismissed themselves, leaving the couple alone with the parents.

"Stars above, Landon, what do you think you're doing?" his father questioned.

Landon stiffened. "I'm kissing the girl I love, dad." Isabelle turned to look up at him in surprise, but didn't speak. "I'm in love with her. I am. I know you think I'm too young, but... Jim and Tabitha are the same age, and everyone knows that they're in love. Why is it so hard to believe that I feel the same way?"

"Because Jim and Tabitha have been together for 3 years. You and Isabelle haven't even known each other 3 months. Landon, you're 19, and - "

"Honey," his wife said, gently laying a hand on his shoulder. "Let me handle this." He sighed but gave in. His mother stepped forward to the couple, observing them. "Kiss her."

Landon blanched. "Wh-what? But, mom - "

"Do it, Landon," she said in a warning, yet still caring, tone.

Landon looked back down at Isabelle, then back up to his mom. "Do you have to watch?" He laughed awkwardly. His mother raised her eyebrows and Landon sighed. "Okay... Isabelle?"

Isabelle nodded. Landon grinned and leaned down to kiss her, placing a hand on the back of her head and pulling her to him. Isabelle placed her hands on his sides, enjoying every second of this kiss she never though she'd share.

When they pulled back, both smiling, his mother grinned and turned back to his father. "They're in love, sweetheart. A boy would never kiss a girl like that in front of his mother unless he truly cared about her."

Landon's face reddened brightly, but Isabelle just giggled. Landon's father shook his head. "Alright. You win. You're in love."

Landon turned back to Isabelle, wrapping his arms around her waist and staring into her eyes. "You bet I am."

* * *

That was the explanation everyone found the next morning. After looking around for them for a little while, his mother had finally spotted the note on his bed, that explained the whole story, for his friends, and apologized, to his parents, for running away with Isabelle. As he said in the note, he 'didn't want to risk anything else coming between them.' And who could blame him?

His father just shook his head and chuckled. His mother got all teary eyed at the thought of her baby eloping. Jim, Tabitha, and the other teens were all in complete shock.

"Three engagements in under twelve hours," Jim laughed. "I think that's probably a record."

Mrs. Hawkins laughed. "But how did they leave?"

"Oh, I'm sure they just hopped on the next ship out of here," Landon's mother had said.

"Nope," Tabitha laughed as she skimmed over the note again.

"How then?" Jim asked.

Tabitha simply grinned and handed him the note, pointing to the post script:

_ Thanks for the longboat, Jim._

* * *

**Remember that? How Jim said he could take the longboat and fly back?**

**Yeah, okay, this chapter was ca-ray-zee long. Sorry about that. I get carried away (as I'm sure you've noticed). But I don't even care because I just love this so much! It's cute, no?**

**This was requested by ADangerousPastime. I hope you like it as much as I love those sketches you did! I can't even tell you how much I'm in love with them!**

**Reviews are super awesome! Thank you!**  
**-Emily**

**+Responses to Reviews+**

**NeverTooLate03: Glad you liked it! And your last chapter was AWESOME!**

**Tsukasa-kun: Haha Yeah Cason could come across as a bit of a perv, but he's really a gentleman.**

**anon: I did consider having him walk her back to the dorm, but then I figured that he probably wouldn't since they were on campus, so she's safe, and they don't really want to be seen together yet. Thank you so much for all your compliments!**

**23jk: Thank you :D**

**MistressTaco: Aw, how cute! Glad you liked it!**

**Horsygirl 96: Thank you!**

**ADangerousPastime: Bam! Two chapters for you! And both made of awesome, if I do say so myself. I hope you like this one as well! Actually, I am working on making this a book... trying to figure out how copyright applies and such... :D**

**CMR Rosa: Thank you! Yes, I think that it will show how they all met as the chapters go! You'll see what I mean.**

**S.A.M. Foneca: I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you for your reviews! It's so great to see a new reviewer!**

**malisa: Haha I don't blame you! Glad you liked it! Thanks!**


	7. Let's Make This Last Forever

**You guys, I am so sorry about the wait. Things have crazy busy here. As I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before, I just graduated, which means I'm headed to college next year, which means I have a LOT to get ready. Not to mention, I had a lot of trouble writing this chapter just because I had to revert back to younger Jim & Tabitha, so I kept having to remind myself that they weren't married and they were still new at this relationship stuff and all that jazz.**

**I can't tell you guys how awesome it is to see how popular my stories have become. I cannot explain the satisfaction in seeing new reviews or getting new readers. It's amazing, and I can't thank you guys enough. :D**

**Oh, and several people pointed this out/asked this: Yes, the last chapter was loosely based on the song 'Love Story' by Taylor Swift, which is loosely based on Romeo and Juliet.**

**Okay, anyway, Blair Bear Tate Monster (Who, by the way, has written an AMAZING Treasure Planet fanfiction called 'Lost Treasure'. It's adorably fluffy, but still has plenty of conflict and action. I highly recommend it.) wanted to see first dates for all the characters, and anon requested seeing a dance or a date.**

**So, here you have it, Jim and Tabitha's first date. Unless you count that night on the _Legacy_ where he showed her the stars a date... but this is the first real date, since they got back from their voyage.**

**Enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

"Tabitha. Hey, wake up."

Tabitha groaned and rolled over, pulling the blanket over her head. Jim rolled his eyes, grabbed the edge of the blankets, and yanked them off the bed. Tabitha whimpered and instinctively curled up in a ball.

"Jim..." she complained, rolling over and reaching for the blanket.

"Nuh-uh." He jerked them out of her reach. "We let you sleep until almost lunch time."

She sat up and rubbed her bare arms. "But I'm cold..."

Jim softened and wrapped the blankets back around her shoulders. She sighed, pulling them around her tightly, and started to lay back down.

"Oh, no you don't - " He grabbed her hand and pulled her back up. "You have to get up."

"But why?" she complained.

"Because," he chuckled as he continued pulling on her.

Tabitha relented and got out of bed. "That's a horrible reason."

"Trust me," Jim chuckled. "You'll like it."

"Like what?"

"Just get dressed and come dowstairs."

Tabitha eyed him skeptically, but Jim's confidence didn't waver. "Fine." He smiled and started to leave, but she stopped him again. "But what's going on?"

Jim stopped halfway out the door and looked back at her. He looked back at the hall hesitantly, then walked back over to her and brushed her disheveled hair away from her face. He smiled and pulled the back of her head forward to him. Their lips locked in a gentle kiss, one that lasted only a few seconds, but left Tabitha's head reeling when Jim slowly pulled away from her.

Jim grinned. "Get dressed and come downstairs," he repeated.

Tabitha nodded as Jim left the room. As she started to get dressed, her mind wandered to what Jim was up to. He was acting very... affectionate this morning. What on Montressor was he planning that she would allegedly like?

Meanwhile, Jim had changed into some of the new, nicer clothes they'd bought since he returned from the Treasure Planet voyage. They were the same style as his old ones, but more fitted. The black pants weren't being held on solely by a belt, and while the forest green shirt was still loose, the sleeves were the right length and it was better suited for his body. He'd been a little unsure of the new style at first, but he'd learned they weren't so bad... and it helped that Tabitha had complimented him on how 'dashing' he'd looked the first day he wore them.

"So does she have any idea?" Mrs. Hawkins asked as Jim entered the kitchen.

"Doesn't look like it," Jim smiled.

"I still don't understand why she hasn't even mentioned it yet," Dr. Doppler said from his spot at the dining room table.

"I don't know, could be a lot of things," he shrugged. "We'll find out tonight."

"Everything's all set, Jimmy!" B.E.N. cheered as he walked in through the kitchen door.

"Good. Thanks, B.E.N." Morph flitted over to Jim and chirped confusedly. "Oh, no. You'll find out tonight, too."

The blob turned into a question mark.

"Because you might tell Tabitha," he chuckled.

"Tell Tabitha what?"

Everyone in the kitchen turned to see Tabitha standing in the door. Morph flitted over to her, complaining in his squeaky voice as he pointed at Jim.

"What did he do?" she asked, feigning offense.

"I won't tell him a secret," Jim answered.

"What secret?"

Morph transformed into a miniature of Jim and mocked, "You'll find out tonight!"

Tabitha cast Jim a confused look, but he just shrugged. "Come on, let's go."

"Go?" Tabitha repeated hesitantly. "Go where?"

"I'm taking you out," he answered as he shrugged on his jacket.

"Out... side?" she questioned.

Jim laughed. "No. _Out_. You know, on a date."

Tabitha blinked. "A date?"

Jim looked a bit shocked, as if maybe he'd done something wrong. "Well, I mean... yeah. I-I thought..." He scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I thought you might like it."

"I-I would. I'd love to," she smiled. "But we've never been on one before. Why...?"

"Because you're my girlfriend."

Tabitha's heart fluttered a bit at hearing him refer to her as his girlfriend and she smiled.

"Do I need anymore reason than that?" he smiled.

"No," she laughed. "Okay. Oh... Is what I'm wearing okay? I didn't really plan - "

"It's great. You look beautiful," Jim interrupted, sounding wholly sincere and slightly awed.

In fact, Jim had already noticed how beautiful she looked. Tabitha had also gotten some new clothes - much to her protesting and insisting that it was too much, and she couldn't accept them. Today she was clad in the same sort of fitted pants she always wore. They were dark brown and paired nicely with the medium blue long sleeve shirt she was wearing. That's what had made him notice - while generally her shirts were loose, this one was fitted and had a slight v-neck to it. She'd also left her hair down. It was something he rarely saw, and it was beautiful. Her golden brown hair was longer now and came a few inches past her shoulders in gentle waves, all of her curves were shown off in in a tasteful way, and Jim was pretty sure she'd never looked so pretty.

Tabitha blushed, lowering her face as she walked over to him and pulled on her coat.

"Jim, get back here before dinner. It's supposed to snow this evening, and I don't want you lost in a blizzard," Mrs. Hawkins ordered.

"I know, mom. I'll be back," he sighed in exasperation.

"Do you have everything you'll need?" Dr. Doppler questioned.

"Uh... " Jim looked around for a second before he caught Tabitha's eye. He smiled and laced his fingers through her. "Yeah. I have everything I need."

Tabitha blushed ever darker, but Jim hardly had the chance to see before his mother wrapped him in a big hug. He returned it and quickly let go... then awkwardly embraced her again when she didn't let go. "Uh, mom? I'm not going on another trip. It's just a date."

"It's your _first_ date, Jim!" she exclaimed. "Oh, you grew up so fast."

Tabitha covered her mouth to hide a small laugh. Jim sent a sideways glare her way, trying to hold back a smile.

"Sarah," Dr. Doppler began, walking over and gently prying the mother off her son. "He'll be fine. Let them go out and have fun."

"Not too much fun," she said warningly.

Tabitha giggled when she noticed Jim was starting to blush at the attention. "We'll be fine, Mrs. Hawkins."

The teens finally managed to get away and out into the chilly November air of Montressor.

"Sorry about that," Jim laughed uncomfortably. "I didn't expect her to get so... motherly."

Tabitha laughed. "It's okay. So... where are we going?"

He smirked mischievously. "It's a surprise."

She rolled her eyes. "Why can't you just tell me?"

"You'll find out soon. Right now, I have another surprise." He smiled and lead her over to the side of Dr. Dopplers house. "Ta-da!"

Tabitha's jaw dropped. "Where did you get that?"

Jim shrugged as he walked over to the solar surfer that was propped against the wall. "I'm just borrowing it for the day. The guy who owns the solar surfer shop calls me a best customer." He laughed as he lay the vehicle down and inspected it. "Not surprising. I spent all my money in that store. Alright - " He held out his hand. "Come on."

"You want me to get on that?" Tabitha questioned warily.

"Well, yeah," he held out his hand. "Come on, it's easy. All you'll have to do is hold on."

Tabitha glanced from her boyfriend, to the board, then back before taking his hand and stepping aborad. Jim stepped on behind her, only now realizing how close they'd have to be to each other for this to work.

"Uh..." he began, trying to shake away any thoughts on how she was pressed against him before Tabitha noticed him blushing. "Okay, look, all you have to do is hold onto this bar and keep your feet planted on the board."

"Th-that's it?" she asked quietly, unsure if her stammer was caused by the fact that Jim was so close or that she was absolutely terrified of riding this thing.

"Yeah, I'll steer it." Jim kept his foot on the break and turned it on. Tabitha gasped and jerked backwards a bit when the board began to hover.

"Whoa!" he said as her sudden movement against him caught him by surprise. "You okay?"

She gulped. "Y-Yeah. I'm fine. I-It just startled me."

Tabitha took a deep breath - she could do this. She'd gotten over her fear of heights... but that had been in a longboat, where she was sitting and able to cling tightly to Jim. But, no, she was sure that Jim wouldn't take her on anything dangerous. She'd be fine.

But as soon as Jim let off the break a bit and it started to go, she realized she would not be fine. They'd only gotten about 5 feet off the ground and about 10 feet away from their starting point when she suddenly grabbed Jim's wrist, squeezing onto it tightly.

"Whoa, Tabitha, wha - " Jim stammered as he tried to keep the board in control. He caught a glimpse of her face only to see her eyes scrunched closed. "What's wrong?" No answer. "What is it?"

When there was still no answer, Jim lowered the surfer as quickly as he could and cut the power. As he stepped off, Tabitha stumbled backwards into his arms, heaving in a deep breath of air.

"Are you okay?" he questioned worriedly, making sure she could stand on her own.

Tabitha still couldn't talk, but she managed to nod, still taking sharp breaths.

"I-I'm sorry," the stuttered in unison. They looked at each other confusedly. "Why are you apologizing?"

Jim chuckled. "You go first."

"I-I'm sorry," Tabitha apologized, her voice trembling almost as much as the rest of her body. "I'm s-still kind of af-fraid of heights."

Jim gaped at her in apologetic shock. "I'm sorry! I-I thought that after that day in the longboat - "

"Yeah, i-it's okay. Y-You didn't do a-anything wrong. I am over them m-mostly, but," she gulped. "N-Not enough to try solar surfing y-yet."

He pulled her into his arms, trying to calm her shaking. "I'm so sorry. I never would have tried that if I'd known."

"I know you wouldn't have," she smiled as she wrapped her arms around Jim's torso. "I'm sorry I freaked out like that. I-I really do want to try it, but... I'm not quite ready. Sorry."

"Don't apologize. It's no big deal," he smiled.

"I promise I'll ride it someday," she insisted. "If... i-if I still haven't ridden it by the time you graduate from the academy, I'll ride it then."

"Whoa, whoa, wait - " Jim stopped her. "By the time _I_ graduate? What about you?"

"I'm not sure I'll get in. I mean, you're the one who saved us from the exploding planet," she laughed.

"Yeah, and you're the one who doctored up our captain and helped come up with the idea of how to save us from the exploding planet," he assured her.

"But Captain Amelia only wrote your recommendation," she insisted.

"Because you're amazing enough to get in without one."

Tabitha rolled her eyes. "Fine. If I still haven't ridden it by the time _we_ graduate from the academy, then I'll ride it."

"I'll hold you to it," he laughed.

Tabitha smiled. "So how are we going to get to town now?"

"We aren't going to town."

Tabitha hardly had time to look confused before Jim was walking away from her, down Dr. Doppler's cobblestone drive. "Well then where are we going?"

"I told you. It's a surprise," he smiled.

"And we're walking?" she asked as she jogged to catch up to him.

"Yep." Jim grinned at her. "Don't worry. You're going to like it."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "How do you know?"

He smirked, but didn't answer.

They conversed and laughed as they continued their walk, heading in the opposite direction of town, over rocky terrain, down the sloped walkway of a small cliff. Jim kept glancing over at Tabitha out of the corner of his eye, trying to decipher what she was thinking about all of this. After a few minutes of silent debating, he started to reach out for her, but stopped. He couldn't help it - he wasn't used to it yet. He wasn't used to any of it yet - the holding hands, the kissing... It helped that Tabitha was as new to this as he was, and he knew he was probably over-thinking it all, but he couldn't help second guessing himself every time he made a move.

Tabitha caught Jim off guard when she giggled. "What?" She shook her head, refusing to tell him and he laughed. "No, what is it?"

"You're blushing," she teased.

At the mention of it, he felt his face flush darker. "I-I... It's... from the cold."

"Oh, that's too bad," she said in mock disappointment. "Because I thought it was pretty cute."

"You did?"

"Well, until I found it was just from the cold..." she smirked.

Jim laughed and shook his head. He reached out and determinedly wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling him to her, and Tabitha suddenly felt her face warm.

"Now who's blushing?" he teased.

Tabitha shoved him playfully as they laughed.

"Okay, stop!" Jim demanded, stepping in front of her.

"What? Why?" she blinked in surprise.

"Because this is the part where I surprise you," he chuckled. "Close your eyes."

Tabitha started to object, but instead sighed and closed her eyes. Jim gently grabbed her hands and lead her down the last few feet of the journey.

"Okay. Open them."

She did and couldn't help but gasp. They were standing on the edge of a lake, the top of it glassy with a small frozen layer of ice. Even though it was cloudy out, it seemed to sparkle. Looking around, she quickly spotted the blanket that had been laid out at the very edge of it. Beside that was a picnic basket and a stack of a few more blankets. After gaping at the scene around her for a moment, she turned back to Jim, who was standing a few feet behind her, looking a bit anxious.

"Jim..." she said breathlessly. "You did this?"

"Uh, technically, B.E.N. did, but it was my idea, yeah," he laughed as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "I-I thought it'd be nice to do something special since, you know, it's your - er, our - first date..."

"I love it," she smiled brightly.

"Good," Jim sighed as he walked over to her. "I really wasn't sure - "

Tabitha stopped him with a quick kiss. "You over-think things."

Jim chuckled quietly as she pulled him over to the blanket.

* * *

"Rock, Paper, Scissors!"

Tabitha and Jim sat facing each other, huddled under a blanket they were sharing. With lunch done, and a few hours before they had to be back at the house, Jim and Tabitha had resorted to playing rock, paper, scissors, with the loser having to reveal a fact or a secret about themselves that the other person didn't know.

Tabitha held out her flat and Jim held out a fist.

"I win again!" she laughed.

Tabitha had been winning nearly every round since the game started. While Jim had only won enough times to find out a couple of small details about Tabitha, she now knew pretty much everything about Jim.

"You're cheating," Jim jokingly accused. "And I can't think of anything else to tell."

"You're just saying that!"

"No, I really can't!" he laughed. "I've told you all my secrets. You know everything about me."

Tabitha rolled her eyes. They each thought for a second, then she bit her lip nervously. "Could I... ask you something instead?"

"Uh... sure."

"What would you do if you... saw your father again?" she asked quietly. Jim blanched, turning away from her. "I-I've just always wondered how you would react, what you would say... I-I'm sorry if that was out of line. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"No. It's fine. It's a good question, actually." He sighed and brushed his bangs back. "I've wondered that a lot, too. You know, part of me thinks I would shout at him, tell him how much I hate him for leaving me and my mom, but... part of me thinks I might just want to hug him, because, you know, he's still my dad, and I-I'd probably just be relieved that he was alive... Then again I might end up crying," he laughed awkwardly. "I guess it would depend on... how it happened. If I just ran into him somewhere, or if he came back... and how he reacted to me. I don't know. I..." He took a deep breath. "I really hope it never comes up. I know that sounds awful - I mean, he's my father. I should want to see him again, but I just... I just think it's one of those things that's better left unknown. This way, I can imagine that he feels guilty for leaving, or that he's not even alive anymore. Maybe something happened to him..."

There was short pause where Tabitha watched his every move, then Jim shook his head to clear the thoughts. "I'd rather not see him again... I think it's better that way."

It was only when Tabitha reached out and stilled his hand that he realized he'd been rubbing it incessantly against his pants. He looked up at her anxiously and she smiled in a reassuring way. He chuckled and squeezed her hand tightly.

"Okay, this time, I'm going to beat you," he laughed, lightening the mood once again.

"Oh, we'll see, Hawkins," she giggled.

"Rock, Paper, Scissors!" they said in unison. Tabitha held out two fingers while Jim made a fist once again.

"Told you so," he smirked.

She rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine." She paused to think it over, then took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Will you promise not to get mad?"

Jim's brow furrowed. "Yeah, sure."

"Really?" she blinked her eyes back open, searching for sincere verification. He eyed her as if to tell her to get it over with and she sighed. "Well, today... is my birthday."

His jaw dropped. "What?"

"Wait, please don't get mad or upset or anything! I-I'll explain why I didn't tell you." Tabitha sighed and began twisting her hair around her finger. "There's two reasons, really. Th-The first is... well, it's... i-it's my first birthday without Silver since I met him," she said sadly. "It's... kind of hard."

Jim's shock was replaced with sympathy. He watched her twist a piece of hair back and forth around her finger, then smiled sadly.

"Hey," Jim began as he repositioned himself next to her. "I don't know where Silver is, but I'm sure he's thinking about you and how it's your birthday."

Tabitha bit her lip. "You're only saying that."

"No, I'm not!" he laughed, nudging her playfully. "What else would he be thinking about?"

"Hmm, I don't know. Maybe trying to hide from the authorities so he doesn't get arrested?" she suggested sarcastically.

Jim chuckled. "Well, yeah, I'm sure he's thinking about that too, but you know you're like a daughter to him. He's thinking about how it's your 16th birthday and how upset he is that he had to miss it."

She tilted her head onto his shoulder. "Thank you."

Jim looked down at her and couldn't help grinning at how close she was - she wanted to be that close to him - as he wrapped his arm around her waist "What was the second reason?"

"Oh..." She took another deep breath. "I-I didn't want to tell you because I knew that you and your mom and Dr. Doppler would want to do something for me, a-and I just can't accept anything else from you guys. You've all done so much for me as it is. I didn't feel right getting birthday presents from you as well."

"Tabitha, that's crazy. It's your birthday," he tried to reason. "It only comes once a year."

"I know..."

Jim sighed. "You know, I would have gotten you something."

"Which is exactly why I didn't tell you. Jim - " His hand lingered on her waist as she turned to look up at him. "You don't need to get me anything. You... You've given me more than I could ever repay already. You saved my life, offered me a place to live... gave me my first kiss," she laughed awkwardly and he smirked. "Besides, this date was a wonderful birthday present. Really. I couldn't have asked for anything better."

Jim gazed deeply into her eyes. "Come here."

She blinked as he laid down, pulling gently on her hand to follow. She smiled shyly and followed, keeping the blanket wrapped around her back as she lay her head on his shoulder. Jim raised the arm that was not wrapped around Tabitha into a fist, signaling that he wanted to continue their game. Tabitha laughed and did the same. They shook it three times, then Tabitha made a fist while Jim laid his hand flat.

"I win again," he smirked.

"Ugh, fine," she mock groaned. "You have to let me explain this one too..."

"What is it this time?" he feigned annoyance.

"Well, honestly... I really don't like cold weather," she admitted.

"Oh." He rubbed the back of his neck disappointedly. "So... this date probably isn't much fun for you, huh?"

"Oh, no, it is! That's what I was going to explain. I really am having a good time. Plus, we've got blankets and jackets and... you're holding me really close right now," she smirked and he flushed a little. "So I'm really not cold at all. It's just Lacuna - where I grew up - was really hot. _Really_ hot," she laughed. "I guess I'm not really used to it yet."

"Well, if you're going to stay here, you'd better get used to it. Montressor has three seasons: cold, rainy, and the combination of both, known as snow," he laughed.

"If?"

Jim started. "What?"

"If?" she repeated quietly. "You said _if_ I'm going to stay here."

"Uh...yeah?" he answered unsurely, pulling away a little so he could look down at her. "Aren't you going to leave?"

Sadness slowly crept into all her features. "No, I wasn't planning on it. I-I didn't know that's what was expected of me..."

"So what were you planning to do?"

"I thought I'd just... stay here, with... you."

Jim blinked and she flushed and quickly turned her eyes to the lock of hair she was fiddling with. "You really want to stay here with me?"

Tabitha looked up to see Jim grinning broadly at her. "Well... yeah. I don't have anywhere else to go, and I... I thought you wanted me to stay..."

"Yeah, I do!" he smiled, reaching out to grab her hand again. "But I thought you wouldn't be staying that long. I thought you'd... move on or whatever."

She smiled again, pressing herself against him as she buried her face against his leather jacket for warmth and breathing in the heavy, masculine scent that accompanied it. "I don't think so. Not right now, at least."

Even though she was no longer looking at him, Jim continued to stare down at his girlfriend. Girlfriend. Even the word brought a smile to his face, and thinking that his girlfriend was Tabitha turned that smile into an all out grin.

"So you're really going to stay here?"

"If that's okay..."

"It's better than okay!" Jim laughed. "I-I'm really glad you are. I thought that... I don't know. I guess I assumed that this was temporary, and you wouldn't stick around. You'd go back to your old life, before you met me, and this would end." He hesitated only a second before shifting out from underneath her and rolling onto his side so they were facing each other. "I'm really glad you don't want to go and you want to stay here with me because, well... I'd been trying to think of a way to ask you to stay, but I didn't know how. I didn't want to, you know, freak you out or something, since we still haven't known each other that long, but..." He took a deep breath. "I-I didn't want you to leave. I still don't want you to leave... ever."

Tabitha blinked in a mixture of flattery and shock.

Jim gulped. "I-I'm sorry. That sounded weird. I only meant that... I don't want you leaving anytime soon. You know, if things change and we... well, if you want to go, th-then you should, but if things stay the way they are - well actually, things would probably progress. Not that they have to! I-I'm not expecting anything, but... th-that's how relationships work. Er, generally at least."

Tabitha smiled. "Jim, what are you talking about?"

He could feel his face warm up even in the cold. He sighed and rolled onto his back once again. "I don't know. I just... I really care about you and I hope that nothing comes between us because, I..." He looked back to her, smiling nervously. "I really can't see myself with anyone else... now that I've met you."

Tabitha knew she must have been bright pink by this point, but she smiled still. That smile quickly fell again though as she took a deep breath and sat up. "Jim, I... what you said, about going back to my life before you..."

"What about it?" Jim questioned, surveying her anxiously.

She sighed and kept her gaze focused on his chest. "I... I don't have a life to go back to. I mean, when I was a kid, I took care of my dad, but he's dead, and th-then I was with Silver, but..." She gulped. "H-He's gone, too. Right now... you're all I've got," she said quietly as she looked back up to his face. Jim's eyes widened, but she continued before he could speak. "You a-and your mom and Delbert... Y-You're the closest thing I've got to family. That's why I was so worried when you said 'if'. I-I don't have anywhere else to go. Well, I... I guess I could do what I did last time, when I was ten, a-and go find another job as a cabin girl or something, but... I-I'd much rather just stay here with you. I-I've done that too many times now - lost someone and then had to start over. I just can't do it anymore! I mean, n-now that you're in my life... I really don't want you to leave it."

Jim slowly pushed himself up, keeping his eyes locked on Tabitha's. When she couldn't decipher what his reaction was going to be, she started to turn away, but Jim stopped her by placing his hand on hers. Tabitha looked back up. She still couldn't figure out what he was thinking, but before she had too much time to focus on it, Jim leaned forward and softly pressed his lips against hers in a kiss so delicate she would have hardly felt it if it weren't for the fact that it had jumpstarted her heart.

Jim pulled back only a few small centimeters and they both kept their eyes closed while they spoke.

"I'm not going anywhere," he whispered.

"Then neither am I," she quietly answered back.

There lips met again, more passionate this time. Jim was still working on the mechanics of exactly how he was supposed to do this - how he was supposed to respond, where his hand was supposed to be - but this time, he didn't think about it. He tossed all the analyzing out and focused on how soft her lips were, how smooth her skin felt when he ran his hand across her cheek, how... happy it made him feel. He couldn't think of a better word for it. It was relaxing, and yet thrilling - a taste of some exciting feeling he'd only ever come close when he rode his solar surfer at daring high speeds. But even that emotion couldn't hold a candle to what Tabitha could make him feel.

Jim tasted like purps - he always did, and Tabitha always noticed. There was something about it, mixed with the scent of his aftershave, combined with the feeling of his hand gently sliding up and down her leg that scent Tabitha's mind into a frantic daze, as if every piece of it was trying really hard to focus on not focusing. It was like feeling everything and nothing all at once. She didn't know how it was possible, but she didn't care. She loved it, just like she loved everything else about Jim. The way he could stir up such unfamiliar and yet welcome emotions in her was just the tip of the iceberg.

Eventually, Tabitha realized her face was getting colder at about the same time Jim noticed his hair was starting to feel wet. They pulled back and tilted their heads up to the sky.

"When did it start snowing?" Jim laughed.

"I'm not sure," Tabitha laughed breathlessly. "How long have we been kissing?"

Jim focused his gaze back on her and smirked. "Not long enough."

* * *

It took ages to make it back to the doctor's house, and even longer to make it down the slick cobblestone path that lead up to his house. Tabitha was the first to fall when her feet touched the wet stones, but as soon as Jim started laughing, he fell too. Laughing and sliding and falling down every few feet, they made their way back to the house. By the time they got back to the house, they were soaked, freezing, and sure that they would have bruises when they woke up in the morning.

"Well," Jim laughed. "That was fun."

Tabitha giggled as they made their way indoors. As soon as she stepped into the house, Morph zoomed over to her.

"CAKE!" he squealed, transforming into the image of a white cake with candles on top.

"Cake?" Tabitha repeated as she removed her coat.

Morph zipped off to the kitchen. Tabitha cast a confused glance to Jim, but he shrugged as if he had no idea what was going on. Hesitantly, she followed the shapeshifter to the kitchen. As she she stepped inside, what she saw made her gasp.

There was a large cake, with 'Happy Birthday Tabitha!' spelled out in purple icing, several presents of various sizes stacked next to it, and when she turned around, the smiling faces of Mrs. Hawkins, Dr. Doppler, and Captain Amelia.

"Happy Birthday!" they congratulated in unison.

"What... I-I..." she stammered in shock. "How... H-How did you know?"

"How do you think?" Mrs. Hawkins smiled, focusing her gaze on something behind Tabitha.

Tabitha turned around and saw Jim standing in the doorway, hands in pockets, observing her reaction. "Happy birthday," he smiled.

"But... you... You said you didn't know!"

"Of course I knew," he laughed. "It's your birthday. What kind of boyfriend do you think I am?"

Tabitha suddenly rushed forward and threw her arms around him. Jim stumbled back a bit, then returned the embrace.

"The best kind," she whispered to his ear.

* * *

After everyone had their fill of cake, and after a good twenty minutes of arguing that she couldn't possibly accept anything else from them and trying to explain why that's why she hadn't told them about her birthday in the first place, Tabitha was forced into opening her presents. Finally, she gave in and just decided to be happy about them. B.E.N. & Morph agreed to do her chores for a week, though Tabitha wasn't so sure it would be a good idea to take them up on this offer. Mrs. Hawkins surprised her with a new coat. It was one Tabitha had seen the day they'd gone shopping for new clothes, but had been too hesitant to ask for because of the price. Dr. Doppler gift was an assortment of books. There were a couple related to the medical field, but most of them were strictly pleasure reads. Captain Amelia's present was the news that she had put in a recommendation at the academy for Tabitha as well. Now, she and Jim both had an outstanding chance of getting in. As stunned as she was with everything she had already received, she was even more so by what happened next.

"There's one more."

Jim's hands suddenly moved in front of her as he wrapped a necklace around her neck. He fastened it as she pulled her hair out of the way. She gasped when she looked down at it. It was two small stars, interlocked with one another, both composed of amethyst gemstones. She delicately ran her fingers over it, admiring the gift.

"I-I wasn't sure if you'd like jewelry," he struggled as he began to rub the back of his neck. "But I've never shopped for a girl before, a-and I couldn't really think of much else. Then I saw that, and it reminded me of you a-and the night I showed you the shooting stars and... I-I just thought you might like it."

Tabitha stared at it in awe for a moment, then turned to Jim. He was warily observing her reaction, but blinked when she smiled at him. "Jim, it's beautiful. I absolutely love it."

Jim blushed as she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Don't mention it."

"You guys," Tabitha began, touched by all their generosity. "This was wonderful. Thank you all so much. I-I really can't tell you how much this all means to me."

"You're welcome, Tabitha," Dr. Doppler answered.

"Though I do believe it's Jim who deserves most of the credit," Amelia added. "I simply showed up."

"That's true," Mrs. Hawkins agreed. "Jim was the one who found out from Morph when you're birthday was and asked me to use purple icing for the writing on your cake, since it's your favorite color. He also was the one who suggested buying that coat for you, after he saw you admiring it."

"Oh, yes, he helped me pick out a gift for you as well," Dr. Doppler explained. "Jim recalled you telling him that you loved to read as a child and suggested books would be a good choice."

"Mr. Hawkins was also the one who suggested I wait to surprise you with the news of your recommendation until tonight," Amelia spoke up.

"Not to mention he came up with the idea of surprising you and kept you out of the house long enough for us to prepare everything," Mrs. Hawkins said.

"Yeah, and he told me where to set up the picnic that you guys went on," B.E.N. said. "You know, he really did a wonderful job picking out the location. That lake looked so beautiful, and I'm sure... "

The rest of the robot's explanation was lost on Tabitha. She was now staring at Jim, completely awestruck. Jim gulped. He could feel her gaze on him, but was blushing too hard to bring himself to face her.

"Y-You guys, stop," he requested, completely embarrassed by all the flattery. "Come on, it wasn't that big of a deal."

"Are you kidding me?" Tabitha whispered in shock. "It is a big deal. It's a _really_ big deal. Jim, I..."

She stopped, unable to finish her sentence.

"Kids," Mrs. Hawkins, who had picked up on the tangible emotional atmosphere between the two. "Why don't you go ahead and go to bed? We'll do the cleaning."

"Okay," Tabitha said quietly. "Thank you... again."

The adults all smiled as she and Jim left the kitchen. No sooner had they stepped out into the den then Jim began to ramble.

"Tabitha, I-I really didn't do that much. I mean, I guess I helped them pick out stuff, but I... I couldn't have done it without them. It wasn't like I did all the work or whatever. So, um, you know, don't think that... well, I-I don't know what you might think, but - "

As soon as they reached the top of the stairs, Tabitha threw herself against Jim, into the second gracious embrace of the night.

"Thank you," she sobbed against his shoulder.

"Your - Wait, are you crying?"

Tabitha pulled back and nodded. "That's why I had to stop talking down there. But Jim, this is a really big deal. I-I can't tell you how wonderful this all is. No one, not even Silver, has done something this special for me."

"Well, I just knew that it was going to be your first birthday without him, and I just wanted it to... You know, still be good, even though he couldn't be here for it," Jim explained.

Tabitha stared at him for a moment, absolutely stunned by his thoughtfulness. "Thank you. Thank you so much..."

Jim held her tightly as she continued to cry against him. "You... You are crying because you're happy, aren't you?"

She let out a small choked laugh. "Of course, I'm happier than I've ever been in my entire life. Jim, I... " She shook her head, unable to say what she wanted to. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Jim grinned, and for the second time that night, he didn't think. He simply reached out and pulled her closer. "Right back at you."

Alone, in the center of the hallway, framed by the window with snow drifting past, Tabitha got the best gift she could think of when Jim's lips tenderly met her own.

* * *

**I got the rock-paper-scissors idea from the movie 'Ever After'. Chapter title is a line from Blink 182's 'First Date'.**

**So there you have it: Jim and Tabitha's first date.**

**NEWS: Okay, I've seen this idea done a couple of times before, but most recently I got it from Blair Bear Tate Monster. I've decided to hold a sort of interview thing with the characters, and YOU get to ask the questions. That's right - any character, any question, any time during the story. No rules, no limitations, no subjects off limits. Check out her story called 'Interviews' if you want to see kind of how this is going to work, and post your questions in the comments and/or send me a message! This will probably be the next chapter, but I'm not entirely sure. I may just answer one or 2 at the beginning of each chapter. We'll see.**

**Thank you so much everyone! I hope you liked this chapter!**

**-Emily**

**+Responses to Reviews+**

**NeverTooLate03****: I'm really glad you liked it! I agree, it's got enough plot to be a story or a movie of its own.**

**anon: Thank you so much for pointing that out! I went back and fixed it. I'm glad you liked it! :D**

**ADangerousPastime: Haha I'm sure we're about even in the loving each others work department! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!**

**23jk: Thank you very much!**

**Tsukasu-kun: Thank you! Don't worry, Landon and Isabelle will be very happy together.**

**Mistress Taco: Thank you!**

**MidDusk: Hey, a new reviewer! I think... if you've reviewed before, I'm sorry. Anyway, there they were! Back to Jim and Tabitha! Thank you for your review!**

**Horsygirl 96: Thank you! I am probably about half-way done with your chapter. I'm trying to figure out exactly how I want to do it all... But it is being worked on! I have not forgotten and it will be posted soon.**

**S.A.M. Fonceca: Thank you very much! I'm glad you enjoyed it! :D**

**Blair Bear Tate Monster: Aw, thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it! Yeah, when I first started writing, I wasn't planning on basing it somewhat off of 'Love Story', but then it just kind of happened, so yeah, the garden bit was an idea from that song. Glad you liked it! I'm sorry, but fanfiction wouldn't let me put the periods in your screen name. Every time I did, it deleted it. I guess it didn't believe it was a word. Also, if you want me to write the first dates of any of the other characters, let me know, but since I did the whole Landon/Isabelle chapter and Rylee/Cason had their thing, I wasn't sure, and I was kind of lacking inspiration. Anyway, just let me know in a review or a message if you do!**


	8. Of Lust and Love

**New chapter! Hoozah!**

**Okay, I'll be honest. It's about 1:30 in the morning. I'm leaving in 3 1/2 hours, then driving 4 to the airport, then flying for 5 more... and I haven't packed yet because I've been working my butt off to get this chapter finished before I went. It's been eating away at me and I wanted to get it up before I left because I thought I wasn't going to have any internet access, but it turns out I will, so... yeah.**

**For those of you who asked the characters questions, I haven't forgotten. They will be answered soon. For those who didn't, you totally should! (See footnotes of last chapter for details because I'm too lazy to put it here as well. xD)**

**Enough pointless rambling! On to the chapter! This one was requested by Kristy. I hope this was what you were looking for, or at the very least, I hope you like it.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"You have _got_ to be kidding me!"

"Graham," Rylee tried to reason. "It isn't that bad."

"Isn't that bad?" Graham replied in annoyance. "Nobody told me this was date night!"

"It wasn't supposed to be," Tabitha explained. "Theodore and August had to cancel."

"You could always just ask a girl - " Jim began.

"Don't even start, Hawkins. I am _not_ asking a girl out, and I'm _not_ going as the fifth wheel."

"What if we promised to not act like couples?" Tabitha suggested. Rylee and Jim both scoffed. "What?"

"I don't think Cason could make it through the night without trying to kiss me," Rylee said.

"I don't think Tabitha could even resist holding hands," Jim laughed.

"Hey!" Tabitha said, jerking her hand out of Jim's grasp.

"It's true!"

Tabitha crossed her arms. "Says the pot to the kettle."

"Yeah, Rylee, you aren't so innocent yourself," Cason said.

"True, but I at least know how to keep the affection in line, unlike _some_ people," she responded.

"I can!"

"I'd like to see you try!"

"So would I," Graham smirked. Both couples turned to look at him questioningly. "Why don't we make it a challenge?"

"What kind of challenge?" Cason inquired.

Graham shrugged. "We could find out who can go the longest without being... ah, affectionate. Girls verses boys."

"I'm in," Tabitha volunteered.

"Wha - Really?" Jim asked.

"Yes. Why? Scared you might lose?"

Jim glared teasingly at her. "Fine. We're in."

"Us too," Rylee agreed.

Cason started to interject, but stopped himself. "Fine. What are the rules?"

"Simple - no touching," Graham explained. "The contest ends when someone finally does, or when Rylee and Cason have to leave in a few weeks. Whichever comes first."

Jim laughed skeptically. "Tabitha and I are married. We share a bed. How are we - "

"I'll move back to my old room," Tabitha told him. "That way you can't "accidentally" touch me in the middle of the night."

His jaw dropped. "What? No, forget it. This is stupid."

"Alright, well, guys lose then," Graham stated smugly.

"Jim!" Cason argued. "We all know you and Tabitha are enjoying being newlyweds, but get over it! You can go without it for a little while."

Tabitha raised her eyebrows in a challenging sort of way, and Jim sighed. "Fine. She won't last that long anyway."

"Don't be so sure about that, Hawkins," Tabitha smirked as she started to walk away.

Jim narrowed his eyes at her back. "You realize that sentence doesn't work anymore now that we're married. Your last name is Hawkins, too!"

"Think you can handle it, babe?" Rylee taunted Cason.

"Worry about yourself. I'll be just fine," he said confidently.

Rylee rolled her eyes and followed after Tabitha.

Graham laughed and was suddenly punched from in both shoulders at the same time. "Ow! What the hell was that for?"

"For laughing," Cason answered as he turned to leave.

"For suggesting we do this in the first place," Jim added as he followed.

Graham gawked at them. "Oh, come on!"

* * *

As the night progressed, the couple managed to keep it together. No one would have guessed that they weren't just a big group of friends out for a night on the town. There was plenty of teasing, but none of it led to anything serious.

The next three days passed in much the same manner. Nobody really seemed to be affected by the change, or if they were, they didn't let it show. The routines stayed the same, except that now they all slept in separate beds.

"I'm telling you, he's not going to just give in," Rylee argued in hushed whispers to Tabitha one evening. "I didn't expect him to make it through the first night, let alone three more!"

"So step up your game a bit," Tabitha grinned. "Make him an offer he can't refuse."

"But how? I don't know what I'm supposed to do if I can't even touch him."

"Well... I know something that works on Jim," she began slyly. "It might work on Cason too."

"What? Please tell me!" Rylee begged, grabbing onto her friends arm desperately.

Tabitha eyed her frantic friend. "You just can't keep this up anymore, can you?"

"I could!" Rylee argued. Tabitha cast her a skeptical look and Rylee sighed. "Fine. Okay. I'm not enjoying it, alright? I'd rather Cason just give up now. I know he's going to; it'll just save us both some time."

"Whatever you say. Okay, here's what you have to do. It's simple..."

* * *

Rylee surveyed herself in the mirror that night. The shirt she'd stolen from Cason was quite big on her, almost as long as her uniform from the Academy. She rolled her shoulders back, adjusting her posture and the position of the shirt, then frowned. Despite what Tabitha had told her, she didn't think she looked very appealing. She sighed and unbuttoned a couple of buttons.

"There," she said to the mirror.

Adapting a teasing grin, she opened her door and made sure the hallway was deserted before quickly sneaking a couple of doors down to Cason's room. With one more deep breath and a quick tousle of her hair, she knew she was ready. This was going to end tonight.

When Cason answered her knock, his jaw practically dropped to the floor and Rylee telepathically thanked Tabitha.

"Hey, sweetie," she said teasingly as she started to ease her way into his room.

"Oh, no," Cason stopped her by bracing an arm against his doorframe in front of her. "I know what you're doing, and it's not happening."

"Whatever do you mean?" she taunted. "What's the problem? Afraid you're going to lose? Don't think you can last much longer?"

Though Cason's mind was shouting, 'YES!', he simply narrowed his eyes and swung the door open. He'd be damned if he was going to let her know that she was really starting to get to him and that he... Stars above, she looked good in his shirt.

"See something you like?" Rylee continued to mess with him.

"Nothing I haven't had before," he shot back.

Rylee wasn't deterred in the least. She simply upped her tactics to the next level. "You know, I do miss sleeping in here with you," she told him as she sprawled out across his bed.

Cason couldn't stop himself from staring at the bit of thigh she'd exposed in that movement, or the bit of her shoulder and chest that were now in view as the collar of the shirt shifted. He jerked out of his own misleading thoughts and focused on her face. "Yeah, I bet that's not all you miss doing in here with me."

Rylee simply smirked and settled down into the mattress. Choosing to simply ignore this (or pretend like he was ignoring it, at least), Cason doused the lights and climbed in on the other side of the bed, facing away from her. "'Night, babe."

"Oh, Cason, you don't mean that..." she called in her best seductive voice.

"You bet I do."

Rylee leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Just do it."

Her warm breath against his neck made him flip over so that he was facing her. "Do what? I'm not giving up. No way am I... losing this... competition..."

Cason's words began to space themselves out as Rylee unbuttoned a couple of more buttons on his shirt, this time starting at the bottom. Cason gulped and tried to focus on her eyes, but how could he when she was slowly revealing more and more skin...

"But would you really consider this losing?" Rylee questioned.

Cason blinked at the thought. "No." Why again was he doing this to himself?

"So why are you doing this to yourself?" she asked.

"I..." It was a good question. What was he getting out of this again?

'Nothing', his mind told him.

"Come on, baby," she called to him. "Just give in. That's what you want, isn't it?"

Cason had no idea what he wanted. Wasn't he trying to prove something? He didn't know what it was anymore, but he knew there was a point to this. His mind seemed to have suddenly become scrambled by the sight of her unfastening the last couple of buttons. He still couldn't exactly see anything, but he knew if he just moved the shirt a little -

"No! I'm not doing it!" he suddenly blurted out.

"I'll make it worth your while..." Rylee smirked and stretched her legs out - her long, silky soft legs, Cason's mind added. She laid down, stretching her arms above her head and letting the shirt fall open just a little more, but still didn't reveal what he really wanted to see.

After a few minutes of her just lying their, Cason's runaway thoughts had gotten the best of him.

"Oh, damn it to hell," he cursed as he rolled over on top of her and kissed her, pulling her body tightly against his.

"I win," she somehow managed to gasp between kisses.

"Fine. You win." He pulled off her - his - shirt and tossed it to the floor, closely followed by his own, then began kissing her neck, her shoulder.

"Don't be upset," she smirked, running her hands down his chest. "I'll make it up to you."

He stopped and looked down at her, raising his eyebrows. "How?"

Cason never once regretted giving in.

* * *

"Jimbo?"

"Yeah?" Jim responded, turning to face his father-in-law.

"Not t'at it's any o' my business," Silver began, anxiously shifting in his chair at the kitchen table. "But... did ya have a fight wit' Tabby?"

Jim's brow furrowed. "No. Why?"

"Well, I can't help but notice t'e two o' ya been actin'... different."

"What do you mean?"

Just then, Tabitha came flouncing into the kitchen. "Morning," she greeted.

"Morning," Jim replied.

Silver watched as Jim served himself breakfast while Tabitha poured herself a glass of juice, hardly acknowledging each other. "That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!"

"What?" Tabitha asked confusedly.

"T'e two o' ya been actin' kinda odd lately..."

"Oh," Tabitha laughed. "You mean we haven't been kissing or anything?"

"Yeah, t'at," Silver agreed. "Course it's none o' my business, so ya don't have t' - "

"It's just a bet," Jim chuckled.

Silver crossed his arms suspiciously, so Tabitha explained. "Graham set up a contest for me and Jim and Cason and Rylee to see who could go the longest without being 'affectionate' - guys verses girls."

"Is that so?" Silver chuckled.

"Yep," Jim said. "And so far, we're all tied."

"Nope," Cason contradicted as he and Rylee walked in through the kitchen door... holding hands. "We lost."

"_You_ lost," Rylee corrected.

"Damn it, Cason!" Jim exclaimed. "Now the males look weaker."

"Nothing new there..." Tabitha teased quietly.

Cason just laughed. "I would say I'm sorry... but I'm not."

"So it worked?" Tabitha asked.

Rylee giggled. "You bet it did."

"What worked?" Jim asked, but neither girl answered. He looked to Cason expectantly.

"Nope," Cason shook his head. "Let Tabitha try it and see if _you_ can resist it."

"She won't have to," he smirked. "The contest is over now."

Jim leaned down to kiss his wife, but she held up a hand and stopped him. "Whoa, easy there. You aren't about to cop out that easily."

"What?" Jim questioned in shock. "But Cason lost! It's over now."

"Oh, no. It maybe over for them, but I personally would like to see which one of us gives in first," Tabitha smirked.

Jim slumped. "But, Tabitha - "

"Nope. If you want to kiss me, go ahead, but it means that you'll lose."

He glared at her. "No way. I'm not about to lose."

"Well maybe not right now," she teased. "But I don't think it will be long..."

* * *

Later that night, Jim exited his room at precisely the same time Tabitha exited the washroom... wearing nothing but one of Jim's button-up shirts. It was just barely long enough to cover her decently, and she'd taken the liberty to unbutton the first couple of buttons.

Jim gulped. "This was the idea you gave Rylee, wasn't it?"

"Yes," she said coyly.

"I see what Cason meant..." he mumbled to himself.

Jim knew he was in trouble even before Tabitha started towards him. She'd adopted a mischievous smile that did not bode well for him at all. Sure enough, before he had time to plan anything or even move, he was pinned against his door with Tabitha just inches away. At first, all she did was stare at him with that daring glint in her eye. Then, she moved even closer, until their mouths were only centimeters away, and Jim could feel her warm breath against his lips.

"Is this making it hard for you?" she whispered.

Jim wasn't entirely sure she was referring solely to their competition, but whatever the case, the answer was yes, and there was no way in hell he was going to admit that. Instead, he smiled and ducked around her and headed straight for the washroom.

"Where are you going?" she teased.

"To take a shower." His voice sounded casual and informative, but as he shut the door behind him, he quietly added, "A nice, long, _cold_ shower..."

* * *

Three more days and their friends were on the edge of their seats, as if just waiting for the couple to lunge across the table at each other in fiery passion.

"Just call it a tie already!" Graham begged over lunch.

"No way!" Tabitha rebutted.

"Well then you guys have _got_ to step up your game!"

"Why?" Jim questioned.

"Because I am sick of all this tension between the two of you!"

Tabitha and Jim exchanged a look - a look that said while they missed the closeness, they also enjoyed this build-up of desire.

* * *

Jim followed Graham's order and got revenge the next night.

Tabitha had only been in her bedroom a few minutes when Jim, now shirtless, arrived outside the door. Praying that her hormones would be on his side tonight, he entered her room.

"Oh, Jim," Tabitha said causally. "I was just about to come visit you."

That explained her choice of attire; she was wearing one of her ridiculously thin nightgowns. Jim allowed himself one glance over her body before shaking away all thoughts of it and focusing on turning on a daring glint in his eye and that signature smirk as he began to approach Tabitha. Either out of instinct or because she recognized that look on his face, Tabitha began to back up until he had her cornered against the wall, just as she had done to him.

"You're going to have to do better than this," she told him.

Jim did just that. Without a word, he seized the sides of her gown and pulled her as close as he possibly could to her. "How's this?" he whispered in her ear.

Tabitha finally faltered. "Y-you're cheating. You c-can't touch me."

"I'm not," he answered slyly. "I'm only touching your gown."

She raised her hands to push him away, then quickly dropped them again. Pushing him would require putting her hands on his chest - his sleek, toned chest, her mind voluntarily added - and she didn't trust herself to be able to move them away if she did.

"Jim..."

Ever the gentleman, he released her, but didn't lose that coy grin or leave the room. Trying her best to feign indifference, she sat down on the edge of the bed, crossing her arms defiantly.

"You're free to leave now."

"Not yet," Jim added mischievously as he once again approached her.

Losing faith in her ability to resist temptation, she began to push herself backwards on the bed. This action did not deter him in the least; he crawled across the bed, closer and closer until Tabitha had nowhere else to go and was forced to lie down to avoid him. As his body loomed over hers, she had to remind herself not to reach out for him, not to grab his neck and pull him to her and kiss him as long and as hard as she desired. Her rapid pulse was quickly beginning to drown out that thought though and she knew she was on the brink of losing herself, and the competition.

"J-Jim..." she stammered nervously. "Please..."

It was a card she didn't want to play, but it was also the only card she had - weak and defenseless. She knew Jim couldn't stand to see her uncomfortable. Typically when this card was played, it was because the situation was moving to fast - this time, that wasn't the case at all. It was only that Tabitha feared she'd be unable to resist him for much longer. However, the nervousness came across the same in her voice, and Jim knew to back off.

Jim paused just long enough to give Tabitha that extra boost of adrenaline. Before he acquiesced, he leaned down and whispered, "Good night," beside her ear.

As pleasant chills erupted down her spine, she watched Jim shift off the bed and leave the room, flashing her a smug grin before leaving her alone with her unstoppable blush.

* * *

From that point on, things got really tense. Anyone could pick up the undeniable energy that suddenly appeared between Jim and Tabitha whenever they got within a five foot range of each other. The fact was that they'd been enjoying their life together as newlyweds, they'd adjusted to the intimate freedom of it, and now that there was this odd restraint on them, they were becoming frustrated. They tried to keep up their normal attitudes, and they did a fair job of it, but it was clear what was hovering at the back of both their minds.

"Oh, that's it!" Graham exclaimed as he through his napkin from his lap onto the table. "If I have to watch you guys look at each other like that one more time, I'm going to be sick."

The look Graham was referring to was the one that kept happening as Jim and Tabitha were seated side by side at the table with their friends - each time they caught each other's eye gaze out of the corner of their eye, their was an undeniable look of longing present.

"So don't watch," Jim told him.

"Stars above," Graham sighed as he rolled his eyes. "Okay: new rules."

"What? Why?" Tabitha asked.

"Because the sexual tension between the two of you is so thick I could cut it with a knife. It is literally suffocating me, and as much as I enjoy seeing Jim blush over stupid little things or you try to act like everything's normal, I'm tired of it. So you're getting new rules."

Cason and Rylee both snickered at the other couple's shocked faces.

"Here's how this is going to go: You can touch. Use your hands however and wherever you want to. I don't care," Graham told them. "Games over when one of you kisses the other."

"You mean on the lips?" Jim verified. Everybody turned to look at him and his face flushed, just as Graham had mentioned. "Well, you can kiss people other places as well..." he muttered, looking down at his plate as he used his fork to pick at his food.

"Good question," Graham smirked. "Yes, on the lips. Kiss her wherever else you want."

"That's the stupidest rule I've ever heard," Cason spoke up. "They can go as far as they want as long as their lips don't touch?" Rylee kicked him under the table. "Ow! What?"

"That's personal," she hissed at him and Graham.

Tabitha suddenly sighed. "I'm tired of this."

"You're giving up?" Graham questioned.

"No, not that. I'm tired of you guys discussing mine and Jim's love life."

"Told you so," Rylee said.

"You were the one who wanted to keep the contest going," Graham told her.

"But I didn't think it was going to get so personal," she mumbled.

Jim watched her, though she kept her gaze focused on her plate. She really was uncomfortable with it. "I agree," he added. "You guys, this is fun and all, but we are married, and I want to keep our love life between us."

"Okay. Sorry," Graham said genuinely. "Do you guys want to keep going?"

Tabitha and Jim looked at each other and he smirked. "I want to prove that I can beat her."

"Well then you're going to be let down, because it's not going to happen," she said matter-of-factly.

Graham laughed. "Okay. New rules: no kissing on the lips and... keep it PG-13."

* * *

Jim looked up from his solar surfer magazine as Tabitha entered his room later that night.

"Hey," he greeted, though already his heart was racing from the sight of her and the knowledge of the new rules that had been laid out.

"Hey," she smiled. There was a pause and then Jim raised his eyebrows, questioning why she was there. "Oh, I thought it would be okay if I moved back in here, since touching isn't a problem anymore."

"Oh, yeah! Great," he smiled.

"Thanks." She shut the door to their room and gestured towards their en suite bathroom. "Um... I'm going to take a shower."

Jim nodded, but kept his gaze focused on the magazine. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Tabitha grab some clothes and make her way to the bathroom, then the door... _almost_ shut. He looked up at the sound the door hitting the lock, then bouncing open just slightly. From his place on the bed, he could see straight into the bathroom. He watched as she cut the water on and began to undress, pulling her shirt over her head, unbuttoning her pants before sliding them down her legs... Jim would have sworn the temperature just jumped up about twenty degrees, but he couldn't bring himself to look away.

There was a 'smack!' as his magazine slipped out of his grasp and fell to the floor, and he jumped. He quickly picked it up and tried to look natural but he could hear Tabitha giggling. He looked back over to her just in time to see her wink and pull the shower curtain closed around her.

"Damn, she's good," he muttered as she shook out his shirt to create a bit of a breeze to cool him off.

He continued to stare at the pages of his magazine, but his thoughts had drifted to Tabitha. Suddenly, it hit him. That wink, just before she'd gotten in the shower. In a second, Jim had thrown the covers off of his legs and made it over to the bathroom door before he skidded to a halt. No, she would be expecting him to join her now, and he'd almost walked straight into that trap. He rolled his eyes at himself and scoffed; she'd excited him enough just by undressing, he didn't need her hands going to work on him as well.

Sighing, Jim sat back down on the bed. He had to think of a way to catch her off guard. That was the only way she was ever going to lose this thing. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then his eyes widened. Smirking at his plan, he quickly stripped off his shirt, picked the magazine back up, and waited for the water to stop.

In the shower, Tabitha was on full alert, just waiting for him to join her... but he never did. She stayed in even after she'd finished washing, just waiting, but he never showed up. Feeling slightly disheartened, she turned off the water and stepped out, wrapping a towel around her as she did. She squeaked when someone suddenly turned her around, seizing onto her hips, but tried to quickly shake off her surprise.

"Jim! What are you doing?" she questioned.

Jim smirked but didn't say anything, which only unnerved her more. Before she caught on to what he was doing, he'd lifted her up and sat her on the ceramic counter, one of her legs on each side of him.

"Jim, what - "

Tabitha's inquiry was cut short by her gasp. He kissed her neck, and she froze. Jim smirked. He had caught her off guard, and he knew it. He placed his hand on her knee and slowly caressed his way up her thigh, past her hip, her side, chuckling when he felt how fast her heart was beating. Tabitha shook her head to clear it; she couldn't let Jim win her over like this. Tucking the corner of the towel under her arm to hold it, she ran her fingers through his bangs, then to his shoulder, pushing him back just slightly.

"Jim," she said coyly. "What are you doing to me?"

"Exactly what you want me to be doing to you," he shot back.

With that, he slid his other hand under the towel as well. Tabitha couldn't even try to act like she was unaffected. After months of marriage plus over 3 years of dating, Jim knew exactly what to do to make her mind cloud over with lust. She gripped the edge of the counter tensely, seriously debating whether she wanted to keep this up. She could give in right now. All she'd have to do is kiss him. He'd kiss her back, then swing her up into his arms, carry her to the bed and -

"Ah!" Tabitha squealed as he skimmed his fingers across the small of her back, making her involuntarily arch forward so far that she would have fallen off were it not for Jim's body still being positioned between her knees.

Jim laughed quietly. He leaned forward, placing his lips close enough to her neck to make her think he was going to kiss her again. Her stomach muscles reflexively tensed when she felt his warm breath against her still wet skin...

As quickly as it had all started, Jim jerked back and walked away. Tabitha impulsively leaned forward as if she was magnetized to him, releasing a shuddering breath in the process. Jim couldn't help but laugh at how completely starstruck she looked. Big mistake. Tabitha snapped out of her daze and hopped off the counter. He had just enough time to regret his amusement before she had pinned him against the wall.

"Jim," Tabitha began quietly, her mouth right next to his ear. "Why'd you stop?"

"I-I..."

Jim gulped. His plan had been to lead Tabitha on just enough so that when he stopped, she wouldn't be able to resist. Truth was, he'd had to stop because she was getting to him at least as much as he was getting to her. He should have known that listening to her say his name like that or emit those sweet sighs and gasps she couldn't hold back would have worked against him.

Tabitha smirked, leaning tantalizingly close to his lips, as if she were going to kiss him, just long enough for him to inhale a shuddering breath, before she pulled away. His heart hammered as he tried to bring back his mischievous smile and disguise how he was feeling, but he couldn't do it. Giggling, her hands reached out for his belt and teasingly began to slide it out of the loops. He froze, losing all hope in his ability to keep up an even remotely calm facade now.

Stars, how did he always end up in at a disadvantage? While Tabitha was slowly pulling off his belt and unzipping his pants in a torturously seductive way, he had no way to return the action. Unless, he pulled her towel off... What was he thinking? Pull the towel off? The last thing he needed right now was to see Tabitha completely undressed...

"T-Tabitha, stop," Jim gasped again when she kissed him right at his jawline, her warm hands running slowly down his chest.

"Why? Are you alright?" she asked smugly.

He groaned when her hands stopped abruptly at the waist band of his boxers. "Th-this is _really_ unfair..."

"How so?" she taunted.

"Because when you say stop, I-I have to stop, but - " He gasped and grabbed her hands as they started to slide further down. "When I say stop, you don't. Why?"

"Because _I_ never claimed to be a gentleman," she smirked.

Jim considered this for a moment, then the thoughtfulness and confusion disappeared from his face, only to be replaced with something that threw Tabitha for a loop. She didn't it recognize at all. It wasn't an expression she'd ever seen him wear before. It wasn't playful, or coy, or even mischievous. It was... dark, almost sinister, and it probably would have scared her if she hadn't found it so... _sexy_.

Once Tabitha was thoroughly perplexed, Jim grabbed her hands and switched places with her, pinning her arms above her head as he shoved her against the door. "I don't always have to be a gentleman, you know."

Jim was surprised he hadn't thought to do this sooner. He had the advantage of having a hold of her hands while maintaing control over Tabitha. He quickly searched her eyes for some sign that she was frightened, wondering if maybe he should let up a bit, but there was no sign of alarm in them. There was only sheer desire, fueled by the adrenaline rush he'd just given her. Smirking inwardly, he stared deep into her eyes, daring her to make her move.

The idea of being scared never even crossed Tabitha's mind. Though Jim had never done this before, she still had full trust in him. This was all only a game, and _stars_, was he good at it. Her breath caught in her throat as he continued to stare at her in that bold, seductive way with such ease as if he'd done it a million times before. He pressed against her, roughly kissing her shoulder, her neck... She moaned quietly as he longingly ground his hips into hers. Her knees went weak, and she was fairly certain if he released her, she wouldn't be able to stand on her own.

Finally, Jim let go of her hands. Tabitha let them fall to her sides, clenching them into fists as if trying to hold herself back. He braced his hands against the door, on either side of her, then pressed his forehead against hers. Every muscle in his body was tensed, his breathing hot and labored, as if even that was becoming a struggle now. His gaze was hard and desperate as he stared down into her eyes.

"Tabitha... I need you."

Despite the fact that Tabitha felt like her entire body had just caught fire, she was frozen. She couldn't move or respond to Jim's plea. All she could do was watch as he slowly leaned down and placed his lips as close as he possibly could to hers. All it would take was a slight movement, and their lips would finally touch...

"Jim," she pleaded softly. "Please stop."

"Why should I?" he demanded.

She shut her eyes tightly, preparing herself for whatever else he might do. Contradictory to his question though, he stopped and moved away. Sure enough, Tabitha felt herself slide down the door just a little bit, her knees almost too shaky to support her. The towel, which she now realized had only been held up between their bodies, started to fall, but she grabbed it and wrapped it back around her.

Jim crossed his arms and smirked at her, his playful personality back. "You ready to give in yet?"

"Wh-What..." she panted, unable to keep her voice steady. "What was _that_?"

He laughed. "Well, you're trembling so much you can hardly stand, your face is bright red, and your chest is heaving because you can't catch your breath... So I'm going to say that it was something you enjoyed immensely."

Tabitha felt her face warm even more. He was right. Jim had never had that much of an affect on her, and she _had_ enjoyed it immensely. She'd been close, very close, to giving in. Even now, she was debating whether she just wanted to give up... but some small part of her mind kept reminding her that she really didn't want to have to listen to Jim be smug about it for the rest of their lives.

"I-I'm not going to give in," she told him.

"Yeah, you look real confident about that," he taunted.

Huffing, she turned around and grabbed her clothes, trying to ignore his bribe attempts.

"Oh, come on..." Jim wrapped his arms around her from behind, kissing the back of her neck. She sucked in a tense breath through her teeth and he chuckled. "See? You're enjoying it, aren't you?"

"That... that's beside the point." Tabitha didn't know what point was anymore... but she was pretty sure that wasn't it.

"No it isn't. It's exactly the point. You just have to give in and..." He placed his lips close enough to her ear that they tickled when he spoke again. "I'll make sure you enjoy it."

She bent her neck away from him and pulled herself out of his grasp, grabbing her clothes before walking back into the bedroom.

"Fine," he conceded, never losing his cocky grin. "I'm going to take a shower. You're welcome to join me if you want."

Tabitha narrowed her eyes at him, but he just smirked and closed the door, breathing a sigh of relief. Secretly, he hoped she wouldn't. He knew that Tabitha couldn't take much more of this, but neither could he. He was glad she'd been too dazed to notice the physical effect his own actions had on him.

Shaking his head at how hopeless they both seemed, he leaned over and turned the cold water on full blast.

* * *

The next day was a day that could only be described as awkward. It had passed in a strange haze of emotions - Tabitha couldn't look at Jim without remembering the night before, Jim couldn't look at Tabitha without feeling a strange sense of exasperation and longing. The tension between them was no longer raw, intense... it was calm. It was love, not lust.

"Okay, look - "

Tabitha was startled when she entered their bedroom the next night and found Jim standing up, mid-pace. "Yes?" she asked warily.

"Clearly, neither of us are enjoying this. Don't try to lie and say that you're fine. I'm your husband. I can tell it's getting to you," he informed her before she could try to deny it. "Why... Why are we doing this?"

Tabitha blinked. "I don't know... Curiosity?"

"About what?" he laughed. "Look, I've known you 4 years. 3 and a half we spent dating and I've married to you for the rest of it. If there's anything I know, it's that one: you know how to turn me on, and two: you're too stubborn to give in." Tabitha frowned at him, but he just smiled. "Don't be mad. What I'm trying to say is... I'm giving in."

"What?" she gasped. "Just like that?"

"Just like - " he began to repeat in shock. "Tabitha, we've been at this almost two weeks. I miss you. Not just making love with you, but you. Being able to kiss you. I'm admitting it: I'm hopelessly in love with you and... physical affection is just a part of that. A part that I really miss. And I'm tired of trying to - "

Jim's spiel was cut short when Tabitha rushed over and kissed him, placing her hands on the back of the neck to pull him to her. He moaned against her lips and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I love you, too," she panted. "Thank you."

Jim smirked. "I win."

Tabitha's eyes widened. "What? No, you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"No, you don't!"

"Yes, I do!" he laughed. "The rule was the first person to kiss the other. You kissed me, so I win."

"But you forfeited!" she argued. "If you give up, then the game is over!"

"We never set any rules about forfeiting."

"We didn't have to! It went without saying!" She narrowed her eyes at him. "I can't believe you tried to trick me like that."

"I didn't trick you," he chuckled. "It was true."

"I still don't think you won."

"I really don't care any more," he grinned.

She smiled back. "Let Graham be the ref tomorrow?"

Jim laughed. "Deal."

He placed his hand on the back of her head and pulled her to him, savoring every second of it, chuckling when he lifted her up and she eagerly wrapped her legs around his waist.

"You really couldn't have lasted any longer, could you?" he teased.

"Oh, as if you were doing any better. If I hadn't kissed you, what would you have done?"

Jim thought for a moment. Tabitha raised her eyebrow as if she'd made her point. He laughed and shrugged. "I don't know what I would have done, but it doesn't matter because you _did_ kiss me, and now I know exactly what I'm going to do."

"And what is that?" she asked coyly.

"Well," he began as he laid her out in bed. "I promised you that if you gave in, I'd make sure you'd enjoyed it. So - " He quickly yanked off his shirt before climbing in over her. "That's exactly what I plan to do."

Tabitha smiled and pulled him down to meet her lips.

* * *

"It's over," Jim happily greeted his friends as he entered the den the next morning, hand-in-hand with Tabitha.

"We're out," Tabitha added.

"We know," Cason, Rylee, and Graham responded without a second thought.

Tabitha and Jim exchanged a confused glance. "How did you...?" she began.

"It's one in the afternoon," Cason stated.

"Jim's mom mentioned you hadn't slept in this late since you got back from your honeymoon," Rylee added.

"We put two and two together," Graham concluded. "But that doesn't matter. What happened? Who lost?"

"Did Tabitha finally try that t-shirt thing with you, Jim?" Cason questioned. "Not as easy to resist as you would think, huh?"

"Nope," Jim laughed.

"Then how did she finally make you give in?" Rylee asked curiously.

"She didn't."

Everyone looked at Jim for a second, then turned their confused gazes to Tabitha. The couple looked at each other, then Tabitha grinned. "It was a tie."

"Aw, that's so sweet," Rylee sighed.

"A tie?" Graham asked in shock.

"How the hell could you have a tie?" Cason inquired.

"We're married," Jim stated. "We do everything together. Why should this be any different?"

"Don't give me that crap, Hawkins," Graham teased. "What happened?"

"It was a technicality," Tabitha explained. "Did we ever set up rules on forfeiting?"

"Forfeiting?" Rylee repeated. "Wouldn't forfeiting just be when you finally gave in and kissed the other?"

"But what if someone says that they gave in, but doesn't actually kiss the other person?" Jim added.

The three friends thought for a moment. "What exactly happened?" Cason asked.

Tabitha laughed. "Jim said that he gave in, but then I kissed him first. So who would you say won?"

"Um... I think Jim," Rylee answered at the same time that Cason said, "Definitely Tabitha."

Graham shook his head. "Stars, it really is a tie."

"Well, guess I don't owe you anything then," Cason muttered quietly to Graham.

"Owe him anything?" Tabitha's eyes widened. "Did you take bets on us?"

"Sorry," Graham laughed. "If it helps at all, my money was on you."

"Hey!" Jim cried.

Just then, Silver entered the room, took one look at the couple holding hands, and laughed. "Guess you two lovebirds finally lost yer little game, eh?"

"Yep," Tabitha giggled.

"Well, who gave in? Jimbo?"

"Why does everyone assume it was me?" he wondered aloud.

"'Cause Tabby's had a way wit' you since t'e day t'e two of ya met," Silver answered.

"It was a tie," Graham explained for them.

Silver blinked. "How in blue blazes could t'ey have a tie?"

"A technicality," Cason answered. "Jim said that he gave up, but Tabitha was the one to kiss him first."

"T'at means Tabby lost," Silver said. "Pay up, lad!"

"No way!" Graham answered. "Jim said that he gave up. Tabitha won."

Their friends were so distracted by their own argument that no one noticed the couple in question slip away, back up to their room.

Jim laughed and locked the door behind them. "How long do you think that argument will last?"

"Probably until someone sensible, like your mom, intervenes," Tabitha laughed as she fell back into bed.

"Stars above, I hope she doesn't. I'd really prefer my mom not even find out about this contest thing."

Jim smiled at her as he walked over and lay down next to her. She moved closer and lay her head down on his chest as he wrapped an arm around her.

"I'm glad it's over," he admitted. "I really missed waking up to you every morning."

"Hmm, wish I could say the same," Tabitha teased.

He gawked at her, pretending to be offended before he began to tickle her mercilessly.

"Ah! Jim, I was kidding! I was just kidding!" she squealed.

Eventually, she managed to roll over on top of them and keep his hands pinned against the bed. After their peals of laughter finally died down, Jim leaned up and quickly kissed her. Tabitha smiled, then kissed him, longer this time, sweetly, but passionately.

"So, husband," she began amusedly. "What's the ruling? Is it just the thrill of being newlyweds in love, or are we just that hopeless?"

"I think... somewhere in between," he smiled, slipping his hands out of her grasp to pull her down into another gentle kiss. "Hopelessly in love."

* * *

**It's so fluffy! (I've watched that 'Despicable Me' trailer too many times to count. xD)**

**So there you have it.**

**I can't think of anything else to say, surprisingly. It seems like normally I have way more to say right here...**

**Remember you can still ask the characters questions.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed! I'll update again as soon as I can!**

**Thank You!  
-Emily**

**+Responses to Reviews+**

**Tsukasa-kun: Aw, sorry you were sick. That sucks. :/ Thank you so much and I'm glad you liked it!**

**S.A.M. Fonecca: They do blush a lot... lol. I'm glad you liked it. An explanation on how Rylee and Tabitha became friends is going to be in one of the other chapters. Not sure how long until it will be posted... but eventually. Glad you liked it! Thanks! :D**

**anon: Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)**

**23jk: Thanks!**

**malisa: No worries! Trust me, I understand busy. Thanks! I'm glad you're still reading it, and that you're so in love with it!**

**NeverTooLate03: Psh, well of course I had to make an amazing chapter. I am me, after all. xD Jk. I told my mom what you said about me working for Disney and she laughed for like five minutes. Yes, there was quite a bit of random stuff in this chapter, like Silver (I definitely think we should add a scene where he remembers her birthday into that chapter thing you're writing. I loved that idea.) and Jim's dad (*coughcough* foreshadowing *coughcough*). Thanks for you reviews, as always! :D**

**MistressTaco: OMG Thank you for recommending that song! It is so cute! I am obsessed with it now. xD It does fit their relationship really well. I'm glad you like it! Thank you!**

**Blair Bear Tate Monster: Oh, wow, thank you! And no problem about mentioning your story. It definitely deserves it. It's SO cute! I've already started writing more on Isabelle/Landon and Rylee/Cason, so that will be posted... sometime. Thank you so much! :)**

**Horseygirl 96: Thank you!**


	9. When It Happens

**Oy, you guys! It's been a while, hasn't it? That's what happens when life hits you all at once AND you get writers block. I've got my freshman year of college coming up in a couple of weeks (eep!), some romance of my own (squee!), and my 18th birthday was July 31 (yay!), so I've been busy, and on top of that, I could not get inspired to write something that I actually liked (boo!).**

**But I FINALLY managed to write a chapter that I'm satisfied with. Sorry it took so long!**

**This is for Blair Bear Tate Monster, who originally asked to see first dates for all the characters. I ran out of good, original ideas for dates, but she said that fluff was fine as well, so hopefully you'll like this!**

**Please ignore any spelling or other mistakes. I didn't proofread this very well, and I wrote it in a really weird order 0_o. Sorry!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Hey, Jim!"

"Hmm?" Jim questioned absent-mindedly as he was finishing up cleaning the dishes after lunch one day.

"Can I, uh, talk to you, um, for a second?" Cason asked nervously.

"Uh... sure. What is it?" Jim questioned as he stacked up the last of the clean plates and dried his hands on a towel.

"No, er, not here," Cason said, glancing around worriedly. "Let's... go upstairs."

Jim eyed him questioningly, but didn't debate it as he followed Cason up to the room he and Rylee were currently residing in. Half-filled suitcases were laid out on the bed, stacks of clothes yet to be packed beside them.

Cason locked the door behind them and anxiously turned to Jim. "I need your help."

"Um, okay?" Jim answered. "What do you need?"

"I..." he hesitated for a second, then took a deep breath. "I'm... I'm going to..."

Jim stared at him expectantly, but Cason couldn't formulate his thoughts into words. Instead, he sighed, walked over to the bed and rummaged down to the very bottom of his suitcase, extracting a small, black box that had been wrapped in the folds of clothes. He held it on his open palm and stared nervously at Jim.

Jim gaped at him. "Really?"

Cason sighed and began fiddling with the box. "Yeah... Why? Is it too soon? Should I wait?"

"No, not at all. It's about time you made an honest woman out of her." Jim laughed when Cason looked like he was trying to figure out whether to be embarrassed, or angry, or just flat out happy. "When did you decide?"

Cason took a deep breath. "Well, I... I-I've known I was in love with her since Lacuna, but at that point we'd only actually been dating a couple of months, so... I was waiting, to make sure that... I... I'd really fallen as hard as I thought. And then, well, a-about a month ago I... the idea just kind of hit me, and it... it seemed so right, so I went ahead and bought the ring, a-and..." He sighed. "I've been trying to figure out when to do it."

"Speaking from experience, do it as soon as you can," Jim laughed. "Trust me on this: you do not want to get stuck waiting months because something came up. That ring may be small, but it weighs a lot."

"Yeah. O-Okay..." Cason nodded as he started to pace.

Jim crossed his arms amusedly. "What are you worried about?"

"I..." He paused, looked up at Jim, then sighed and went back to walking. "I don't know."

Jim sighed and walked over to his friend, stopping the incessant walking when he placed his hands on his shoulders. "It's Rylee. She loves you. You love her. If it feels right, it is right. Marriage is hard, but if you really love someone, it's the best decision you'll ever make. Don't worry about anything that comes after that yet. Cross that bridge when you get to it. You can't plan out your whole life ahead of time." Jim paused and grinned. "And there's not a chance that she'll turn you down. She's going to say yes."

Cason breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Thanks, Jim."

Jim laughed. "Can I see it?"

Cason handed the box over to Jim. Silver band, one heart shaped diamond. Classic and girly - completely perfect for Rylee.

"You think it's okay?" Cason asked nervously as he took it back from Jim and surveyed it himself.

Jim nodded. "Yeah, she'll love it. So... when are you going to do it?"

Cason sighed. "I don't know. That's part of what I wanted your help on."

He threw his hands up. "Whoa, I am not the person to help you with that."

"Of course you are! You're the only guy I know who's proposed to someone."

"Yeah, and I did it randomly in the rain one night!"

"Please, Jim," Cason begged. "I don't know where, o-or how, or - "

"Okay, okay. Fine," Jim agreed. "What are you thinking?"

* * *

It took nearly an hour of going around in circles before the decision was finally made - he would propose at dinner, on the last night of their trip back to Rylee's home on Alegria. Cason tried to get Jim to help him practice what he would say, but Jim refused, telling him it would sound better if it didn't come across as rehearsed. Cason argued that coming across as rehearsed would be better than coming across like a babbling idiot, but finally relented to Jim's advice. However, that didn't stop his mind from trying to plan ahead on its own. Cason was constantly trying to write a speech in his head, but nothing ever sounded the way he wanted it to.

Cason was scared. There was no other word for it. This wasn't nerves, this was flat out terrifying. And it seemed like every moment that got closer to the set date when he would propose, his fear increased ten-fold. They said goodbye to Jim and Tabitha and left Montressor, then they were on a cruise ship for three weeks, and all Cason could do was wait and pretend like his nervousness wasn't eating away at him.

Cason tried to hide his anxiety from her. In fact, he was so concentrated on coming across as calm and collected that he didn't notice Rylee seemed to be having some anxiety of her own... That is, until one night at dinner, about two weeks into the trip.

"Are you alright?"

Rylee looked up from the salad she'd been picking at with her fork. "Hmm?"

"Have you not been sleeping well?" Rylee looked at him questioningly, so he explained, "You've got bags under your eyes. I just noticed."

"Oh..."

Cason frowned. "Have I been keeping you up? Because there's a chair in our room. I can sleep on that and let you have the bed if you want - "

"No, it isn't... I, um... I... " Rylee stammered.

"Babe, what is it?" he questioned as he reached across the table for her hand.

"I... I can't..."

Rylee shook her head, unable to explain. Shock seeped into all of Cason's features, and without another thought, he threw down more than enough money to cover the bill, took Rylee's hand - even though she refused to raise her eyes and look at him - and led her back to their room.

"Rylee," he began as soon as the door clicked shut behind them. "What's wrong? Talk to me."

Rylee sat down on the edge of the bed, so Cason followed, staying impatiently silent as he waited for her to speak.

"Rylee..." he said, his voice a bit more sharp with worry.

She looked up and he found that she was silently crying. In a second, he'd pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her as she began to sob into his chest.

"Ry, you're... you're really freaking me out," Cason admitted.

"I'm sorry," she cried. "I didn't mean for it to happen like this. I'm sorry."

"Didn't want... what? What is it?" he repeated. "Why are you crying?"

Rylee just kept crying, so Cason just kept holding her. He wasn't kidding when he said it was freaking him out; he was really scared. He'd seen Rylee cry before, but it took a lot to make her break down into heaving sobs like this, and he'd never seen her do it so out of the blue. It was beyond him what the problem was, and his mind immediately went to worst case scenarios... What if he'd done something wrong? What if there was something wrong with her? What if there was something wrong with them? Was there bad news?

Eventually, Rylee's tears slowed and her sobs died down, but she didn't move away from him. She kept her hands and her face pressed tight into his shirt, still not speaking.

"Baby, I'm sorry if... if I did something, or - " No, that didn't make sense. He highly doubted she'd be crying against him if he was the cause of her tears. "Will you just tell me? Please, Ry..."

Rylee finally pushed herself up. "I... I-I'm sorry. I didn't want to tell you like this."

"Tell me what?"

"Cason..." she began, her voice trembling. "I-I'm late."

"Late for what?" he asked naively.

Rylee's face flushed pink. "My... m-my cycle. It's... It's two weeks late. I should have started around when we left Montressor, but I-I still haven't."

Cason's eyes widened. "That... th-that means you're... y-you're..."

"Pregnant," she finished. "I-I might be."

"Pregnant..." he breathed. He could feel the blood rushing from his face, his head getting lightheaded...

"Cason, I'm sorry - " Rylee managed to choke out before she started to dissolve into sobs again.

"No, don't - " He stopped her, putting his hands on either side of the face and looking into her eyes. "Don't apologize. We knew it was a possibility."

"But wh-why didn't we think about this b-before we..."

"I don't know," Cason sighed and released her. "I'm sorry. This is my fault. I should have... done something. I never should have - "

"I didn't do anything to stop it either," she argued quietly. Cason didn't seem to accept this idea, so she sighed and grabbed his hand. "Cason, we've only... um... I mean... "

"Had sex? Er - " He began to rephrase when he realized how blunt that sounded. "Sorry. Been intimate?"

"Right. We've only... been intimate - " She blushed a bright pink. "Twice."

"Yeah," he sighed. "But that's two times too many if - "

"Wait," she demanded softly. "The first time, we... we got caught up in the moment - "

"Yeah, and I shouldn't have! I should have had enough self control to stop it before - "

"Wait, Cason, listen to me," she begged. "I... I love you, a-and I'm glad that... y-you were the person I got to... share that with. I don't regret it."

Cason smiled sadly. "I don't regret it either... but I wish we would have thought about what might happen before we - "

Rylee shook her head and he stopped. "Do the math, babe. That was almost three months ago, when Tabitha and Jim got married."

Cason hadn't realized it had really been that long, but she was right. "So that means..."

"That means that, if I'm pregnant, it happened the second time, the night you lost that contest thing," she explained. "So this isn't your fault."

"You just said that it was the night _I_ lost!" he argued. "How is that - "

"Do you not remember _why_ you lost? It was all because of me. I talked you into it." Rylee lowered her head as she unwillingly started to cry again. "It's my fault."

"No," Cason said fiercely. "No, it isn't. I didn't have to... give in, but I did."

"Because I seduced you! I practically forced you to - "

"No, Ry, you - " he sighed and tilted her head back up to look at him. "We aren't going to argue about this. The point is we didn't think about it, and now you... might be pregnant. It was just..."

Rylee sniffled. "Just what?"

Cason looked away thoughtfully, his mind racing faster than ever. He didn't know it was possible to think about so many things at once. But finally, it stopped on one thought...

"I was going to say it was just a mistake..." he began. "But... I don't think it was."

After a moment of internal preparation, he took both her hands in his and took a deep breath.

"Okay, if you're pregnant... then we're going to keep it. I don't want to put it up for adoption. I know we aren't financially stable right now, but I'll get any job I can to make sure that I can support both of you. I love you, and I promise to love the baby just as much. I will be there with you, through everything. You won't have to do this alone. We'll be together and - " He paused, surprised he'd made it this far without choking. He gulped and dropped to one knee in front of her. "A-And I'd like it if we could be together as a family," Cason stated as he pulled the small box from his pocket and flipped open the lid. "Rylee... M-Marry me?"

Rylee couldn't even gasp. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't look him in the eye. All she could do was stare at that diamond ring, trying to convince herself that this was real life, not a dream... This wasn't what she'd expected at all. It wasn't even close. She'd gone through what she thought was every possibility of what he might say or do - maybe he wouldn't want to keep it, maybe he'd tell her he wasn't ready, maybe he'd be angry, maybe he'd be thrilled - but in all of that, 'maybe he'll propose' never once crossed her mind.

"You want to marry me?" she finally managed to whisper.

"O-Of course I do," he answered, despite the fact his voice and confidence were wavering now. "I-I care about you... more than anything else, and I... I..." He groaned, letting the hand that was holding the ring fall to his side and the other hand catch his head as he lowered it in frustration. "Damn it. I'm sorry, but I don't know how to say it all... romantic or whatever. I just... " He moved closer, placing the ring down beside him so he could take her hands in his. "I love you, Rylee. That's it. I... I-I still don't know how I ever managed to earn a-a date from you, let alone your love... b-but now that I have it, I don't want to lose it."

There was a pause that seemed to last an eternity, where all Cason could do was stare at Rylee and silently plead that she would say yes. Rylee still looked like she was in shock, because she _was_ in shock. Finally, she gasped in a huge breath as her breathing returned to normal and sank to her knees in front of him.

"Rylee?" Cason questioned, his voice hardly even audible.

She flung her arms around his neck, crying as she pressed her face into his shoulder. "Yes."

"Yes?" he repeated in shock, pulling her back. "You said yes?"

She laughed through the tears and nodded. "Yes. I-I love you. Yes!"

Cason's breath caught in his lungs and he couldn't speak. He pulled her back to him into another tight embrace, burying his face in her hair as he fought back tears of his own, unsuccesfully. Rylee pulled back, looking slightly amused at the idea of him crying.

"I'm not crying!" he defended before she could speak. All Rylee had to do was smile and he suddenly started laughing. "I'm sorry, I'm just so relieved."

"Did you think I would say no?" she gasped.

"I wouldn't have been surprised! I... I don't deserve you. A-At all. On any level. Babe, you're way too good for me."

Rylee leaned over and kissed him. "Don't ever say that again. Don't even think it. Think about how you reacted after I was kidnapped on Lacuna. You tried to come rescue me as soon as I'd been kidnapped, even though you'd been shot. Then after Abigail came back, you searched day and night, everywhere she could think of, trying to find me. We'd only been dating a couple of months, and we were only eighteen, but even then you acted like... like... like your life depended on my survival."

Cason laughed nervously. "That's exactly what I told Tabitha after you were kidnapped - I-I couldn't live without you."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I had to get you back. I-It wasn't an optional thing.

"See? How could you think you don't deserve me? After all that you've done, you..." Rylee choked and gave up on fighting the tears. "Cason, you deserve me much, much more than anyone else in the Etherium."

That did it. Cason's chest shuddered and he threw his arms around Rylee once again as he started to cry. "Thank you. Thank you, baby. Thank you so much."

* * *

The last week passed in strange combination of excitement and worry. They were thrilled with the engagement and the new feelings of love it sparked, but their was that ever present concern that hovered at the back of their minds.

"Still nothing?" Cason asked the last morning of their trip.

Rylee shook her head as she exited the washroom. "No."

Cason put down the two suitcases he was carrying and grabbed her hands. "Hey," he smiled. "It's going to be okay."

Rylee smiled. "You seem so sure."

"Because I am," he stated.

They shared a quick kiss before each picking up a suitcase and, with Rylee's arm wrapped around Cason's, headed down to the dock.

"So you're parents are meeting us here?"

"That's what they said in the letter," Rylee answered, surveying the crowd for the sight of them.

"Okay... And what am I supposed to call your father again?"

Cason and Rylee's parents had met only once before, after everyone's families had ended up at the Benbow after their trip to Lacuna. In the brief visit, Rylee's father, Dr. Hamilton, had made it clear that he did not approve of Cason dating his daughter. Not that Cason blamed him.

Cason Deason had grown up on the backwoods planet of Albator. Their family owned a farm, and they all helped out on it. His family wasn't poor, but making ends meet was always a challenge, even for his small family of four. The only reason Cason had been able to go to the academy was because he'd miraculously gotten a scholarship. That combined with his work study had helped ensured he had just enough to pay for schooling.

Rylee Hamilton, on the other hand, had lived the life of a princess. She'd grown up on Alegria, a planet thriving with new industries. Her father was a doctor, and her mother ran a daycare more for her love of children than for the money. Rylee didn't need scholarships for the academy - her parents had more than enough to cover it. She'd also never worked a day in her life until they'd reached academy. While she didn't have the attitude of someone who had been spoiled, the fact simply was that she had been. She'd always had everything she wanted.

So in the end, it made sense that Dr. Hamilton wouldn't want some boy from the nearby, rundown planet of Albator to dating - let alone marry - his daughter, but Cason didn't care. He wanted her father to like him, of course, but he wasn't going to let the man stand in his way of being with Rylee... or so he hoped.

"Um," Rylee hesitated, knowing that her father wasn't fond of Cason. "Stick with sir."

Cason nodded just as their was a shout from somewhere behind them.

"Rylee!"

Rylee and Cason turned around and came face to face with a slightly plump woman with bleached blonde hair, who looked much too young to be the mother of the nineteen year old girl standing in front of her. She was clad in a white blouse and a high-waisted skirt that was a horridly bright shade of pink that Cason hadn't even known existed until just then. Accompanying her was a tall man, also with blonde hair, albeit more natural looking. He was dressed in a crisp, white doctor's coat and kept one arm wrapped around his wife as they approached the young couple.

"Oh, Rylee! I'm so glad you're finally home!" the woman cried as she embraced her daughter, kissing her repeatedly. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, mom," Rylee returned the hug.

While the two women greeted each other, the men just stared at each other. Cason gulped, trying not to be too intimidated by the harsh glare he was currently getting from his fiance's father. Though Dr. Hamilton didn't compete with Cason muscularly, he dominated Cason in height, and his proud, upright stance only seemed to emphasize this.

"Hello, Cason," the man greeted tensely.

"Hello, sir," Cason returned.

The men continued to stare at each other, with Cason feeling more uneasy by the second, until they were interrupted by a large gasp from Mrs. Hamilton.

"Rylee, what is this?" she asked in awe, holding out her daughters left hand.

"Oh!" Rylee squeaked, having completely forgot about the ring she was wearing that clearly gave away her relationship status with Cason before she'd had a chance to carefully bring it up in conversation.

"Did Cason propose?" Mrs. Hamilton exclaimed, glancing over to the young man.

Cason felt his face grow warm and he gulped, trying to keep his gaze focused on the women and ignore the hard glare he was receiving from her father. "Um, y-yes, ma'am, I did. I... um, hope that's alright - "

"Oh, it's wonderful!" Mrs. Hamilton exclaimed, wrapping Cason in a tight embrace before turning back to her husband. "Honey, did you hear that? Cason and Rylee are engaged!"

"Yes, dear, I heard," he said seriously. "I'm just a bit confused because I would have assumed that Cason would wait to ask for my permission."

"Oh, uh, well, I-I... I actually didn't think about that..." he trailed off, glancing over at Rylee.

"Is that not how things are done where you come from?" Rylee's father inquired bitterly.

"N-No, they are. Usually, yeah. But, um, I just... I mean..."

"The perfect moment came around, a-and he couldn't pass it up," Rylee filled in, lacing her fingers through Cason's.

"How romantic!" her mother smiled, placing a hand to her chest.

"I-I'm sorry that I didn't, sir," Cason apologized. "I... I could now, I guess..."

"It's a bit late now, isn't it?" Dr. Hamilton snapped.

"Daddy..." Rylee pleaded.

He broke off his harsh glare and smiled at her. "Alright, sunshine. We'll talk about this later," he added with another sharp look at Cason.

"Come along, dear," her mother said cheerfully.

"Um, actually," Rylee stopped them. "Cason and I had a couple of errands we needed to run. Would it be alright if we met up with you at the house later?"

Her parents reluctantly agreed, not happy about the delay in getting to spend time with their daughter. After the Hamilton parents had taken the young couple's suitcases and flagged down a cab, Cason turned to Rylee.

"Where are we going?"

Rylee took a deep breath. "The doctor."

* * *

There were lots of words that could have been used to describe the trip to the doctor's office - awkward, tense, nerve-racking, bittersweet, exciting... But in the end, it was flat out frightening. Every second seemed to last an hour, every minute a day. Cason was sure they'd never find out whether or not their suspicions were true...

And then the doctor came back into the examination room, beaming a bright smile at the couple and showering them with congratulations, shortly followed by a long list of rules they had to follow for the next nine months. The couple sat there, in a strange daze of confusion and shock, nodding at what they hoped were appropriate times.

And then it was over. They left the doctor's office and started off down the street, neither speaking a word. They just walked. Hand in hand. Past hundreds of people. Past stores and offices and restaurants. They walked through until there was nowhere else to walk.

They'd reached the end of town and arrived at a construction sight, where even more shops and companies were being built. The couple stopped in unison and stood staring at the construction yard, left abandoned for the night.

"Rylee, you've got to say something about all this," Cason finally said. "I have no idea what's going through your head right now."

He turned to look at her. After a second, she released a shuddering breath and turned to look at him.

"I don't think I can do this," she whimpered.

Before he could say anything reassuring, she dissolved into sobs and fell against Cason's chest. He started just slightly before wrapping his arms around her. "You can, Ry. _We_ can. I promise." He sighed. "Look, I'm... I'm not going to lie about it. I'm scared."

"Cason Deason? Scared?" she laughed lightly.

"Terrified," he chuckled, his worries lifting slightly at the sound of her laugh. "But also thrilled. Shocked, definitely... but mostly happy. I'm going to be - "

Rylee's looked up at him when he abruptly stopped talking. "Cason?"

Cason's voice disappeared as the full realization hit him. He released her, looking down at the ground as he laughed in shock. Rylee surveyed him anxiously, wondering what was going on. He pressed his palms against his eyes, laughing nervously, before he looked back up at her, his eyes now filled with tears.

"I'm going to be a father," he choked through tears of joy.

Rylee laughed and nodded. He threw his arms around her, lifting her slightly off the ground as buried his face in her hair, unable to stop crying.

"Stars, Rylee, I know this wasn't what we planned - " He kissed her and grinned. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."

They remained locked in the happy embrace, somehow reassured that this was all going to work out for the better. They knew they'd have a lot of challenges to face, but it somehow didn't seem so hard anymore. They could do this - together.

Suddenly, Cason dropped Rylee back to the ground, looking terrified.

"What is it?" she asked worriedly.

"Your father is going to kill me," Cason mused.

"No, he isn't," Rylee assure him, squeezing his hand. "He might be... upset at first, but - "

"No, I don't mean it figuratively! H-He's going to _literally_ kill me," he replied in shock. "He's going to go and grab his shotgun and shoot and kill me."

She rolled her eyes. "You know he's not that mean."

"Yeah, maybe not to you. You're daddy's little girl. I'm just the backwoods kid who impregnated daddy's little girl."

They locked eye contact for a second, and then Rylee began to giggle.

"Well I'm glad you think my upcoming death sentence is so hilarious."

Rylee laughed harder, and soon they were both laughing hysterically. When they finally managed to catch their breath, she stood up on her toes and kissed him.

"He does like you," she explained. He shot her a look of disbelief and she smiled. "Okay, maybe he doesn't yet, but he will. He's just... skeptical. He wants to make sure I'm being taken care of. Once he understands how much you care for me and how you stepped up to be a father, then he'll warm up to the idea. I promise."

"Well..." Cason sighed. "Let's go find out."

* * *

"We're home!" Rylee shouted as she and Cason entered her house. "Mom? Dad?"

"There you are."

They jerked around to see Rylee's father entering from the kitchen, followed by her mother, wringing her hands warily.

"We need to have a talk," he said fiercely.

"Y-Yes, daddy?" Rylee stammered.

"Not you. The boy." He marched past his daughter and grabbed Cason's shoulder, roughly pulling him away from his daughter.

Cason stumbled slightly, but regained his footing. "Sir, what - ?"

"Would you care to explain to me why I was just congratulated on becoming a grandfather?" he demanded.

Cason gaped at him, trying to stammer out an answer, but nothing came out.

"Daddy..." Rylee tried to intervene from where she still stood by the front door. "W-We were going to tell you - "

"So it's true?" her mother suddenly spoke up. "You're pregnant?"

Rylee nodded, tears springing to her eyes. Mrs. Hamilton gasped and raced forward to hug her daughter. At the same time, Dr. Hamilton stepped closer to Cason, backing him up into the living room.

"What in stars name were you thinking, boy?" he glowered.

"I... I... We..." Cason stammered.

"Is this the only reason you proposed to her? Because you got her pregnant?" he accused.

Cason tumbled backwards into a recliner when the back of his legs hit it. "No, I-I didn't..."

"You better start coming up with answers, or so help me, I'll - "

"Daddy, don't!" Rylee called out from her mothers arms. "He's okay. He didn't - "

"I'm talking to the boy," he retorted, never taking his gaze away from Cason. "And he'd better start talking back."

Cason glanced over to Rylee, who nodded. Then, gathering up every ounce of courage he had, he stood back up determinedly to face his future father-in-law. "I'll tell you what I was thinking. I was thinking that your daughter is the most amazing girl I've ever met. If you think I'm not worthy of her, then you're right... a-and it makes perfect sense that you're trying to protect her. She's beautiful, and funny, and smart, and kind... a-and I'm lucky to have her. That's why I proposed. Because I recognized how lucky I was and I couldn't let her get away from me. I am in love with her."

"And what of this baby?" he questioned.

"What of it? It's my kid, and I'm going to take care of it. Even if Rylee had turned down my proposal, I would have stayed with her and made sure she had everything she and the baby needed. I've already promised to get any job I can to make sure that we can make ends meet. I wouldn't run off and leave her at a time like this. I'm a man who steps up to my responsibilities, and right now, those are your daughter and your future grandchild, and I love the both of them more than anything else in the Etherium."

Dr. Hamilton surveyed the boy seriously. "Cason... if I refused to let you marry my daughter and told you I never wanted you to see her again, what would you do?"

Rylee gasped from the other side of the room, but Cason didn't waver.

"Would you leave, or would you go against me and get married anyway?"

Cason thought long and hard before finally sighing. "I..." He looked over at Rylee. "I just want her to be happy. If following your rules would make her happy... I-I'd leave. But if marrying me would make her happy, a-and I think it would, then... we would get married."

Dr. Hamilton continued to look him over silently.

"Look, sir - " Cason continued. "I don't mean this disrespectfully... but it this has nothing to do with you. Rylee and I are both adults, a-and we're free to make our own decisions."

"That doesn't stop her from being my daughter!" Dr. Hamilton exclaimed. "And I'm not sure I want her to marry someone..."

Cason gulped back his hurt and took a deep breath. "Someone like me?"

The father didn't answer, but his silence was enough.

"Honey, I think you're being a bit rash," Mrs. Hamilton intervened. "Remember everything he did for our daughter back when they were on Lacuna? If it wasn't for him, our Rylee might not be here right now."

Dr. Hamilton blinked and looked back at his family contemplatively.

"Sir, I..." Cason began, catching the attention of his fiance's father once again. "I know that she's your daughter, and you want her to be taken care of, a-and I understand if you're worried about me being able to provide for her. I-I don't have much, and I can't promise her a life like she has now. I can't promise that she'll have a huge house, or tons of clothes, o-or everything she wants, o-or the very best of everything... but I can promise to take care of her. And I do; I-I promise to make sure that she has everything she needs. I promise to do... everything I can to make her happy. A-And I promise I'll love her forever." He sighed. "If that's not enough for you... I-I'm sorry, but... I-I'm completely in love with your daughter... a-and I just can't walk away from that."

By the end of the speech, Cason had lost all his resolution and lowered his gaze to the ground. Dr. Hamilton stared at him, his harsh facial expression unwavering. Rylee stood at the sidelines, wrapped in her mothers embrace, her chest heaving as she tried not to cry.

"Rylee," her father spoke harshly, finally taking his gaze off of the boy and turning to his daughter.

"Y-Yes, daddy?" she squeaked.

His face finally softened into a slight smile. "Get over here and hug your fiance."

Cason's head jerked up hopefully at the word. Rylee laughed in shock, then quickly raced into Cason's arms, throwing her arms around his neck and knocking them both back into the chair. He released a huge sigh of relief as he held her close. Slowly, he placed one hand on the back of her head. She smiled and fell into their kiss, where Cason couldn't hold back a smile.

"Ahem."

The couple pulled away and looked at Dr. Hamilton, who was eying them severely. "I said _hug_, Cason."

Cason gulped as they stood up and separated from each other. "S-Sorry, sir."

"Mhmm," Dr. Hamilton said skeptically, yet amusedly.

Rylee rushed over to her father and wrapped her arms around his torso. "Thank you, daddy."

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Of course, sunshine."

* * *

"Cason, I need to speak with you for just a moment," Dr. Hamilton said at the end of dinner that night.

"Oh. Um... okay," Cason hesitantly agreed. Dinner had gone smoothly enough. Things were still a bit awkward, but Rylee's father really did seem to be warming up to him. Now, though, his tone sounded rather harsh, and Cason felt his pulse increase dramatically as he began to panic.

"I'm going to bed." Rylee quickly kissed Cason's cheek, whispering in his ear, "I love you. You'll be fine."

Cason grinned at her, watching as she said goodnight to her parents and followed her mother up the stairs before turning back to Dr. Hamilton. "Um... what was it you needed to speak with me about, sir?"

"Cason," he sighed. "I know I haven't made things easy for you, as far as dating Rylee goes, but I think I owe you an apology."

"I, uh... what?" Cason asked in shock.

"An apology," the man chuckled. "It wasn't fair of me to judge you simply by your social status, and I'm sorry I did. You seem like a smart lad, and you've show a tremendous amount of responsibility, stepping up to take care of the baby despite the circumstances."

"Well, what else could I do?" he asked. "It's my kid. I-I love it already."

Dr. Hamilton smiled. "You see, it's statements like that that reassure me you will be good for Rylee. I... hope I haven't ruined our relationship before it's even had a chance to begin, son."

Cason blinked in shock at the last word, and again when the man held out his hand for him to shake. Hesitantly, he reached out and shook it. "Um, n-no, you haven't. We're good."

They let go a moment later. Cason smiled awkwardly and turned to leave.

"I also never got the chance to say thank you."

Cason stopped in the doorway and turned around. "For what?"

Dr. Hamilton started to walk, leaving the room and starting up the stairs, so Cason followed. "For saving Rylee's life," he answered. "To be honest, I'd forgotten about everything you'd done fore her until my wife reminded me this evening."

"You're welcome, sir, but... to be honest, she kind of saved her own life."

Her father chuckled. "Well the way I heard it, you did everything you could to save and protect her, despite being injured yourself."

"Don't make me out to be a hero," Cason muttered. "It... was purely for selfish reasons." Dr. Hamilton raised an eyebrow at him. "I had to save her because... I love her, and I wanted her back."

"I hardly consider that a selfish reason," the man laughed as they reached the landing at the top of the stairs and started down the hallway. "And whether it is or not, I see you as a crucial part of the reason my daughter is still alive today."

"It was no trouble. Really," Cason smiled.

The men stared at each other for a minute, then nodded and turned to their respective doors. However, Dr. Hamilton cleared his throat as soon as Cason reached for the doorknob of Rylee's bedroom door. Cason froze and slowly turned back to face him.

"Wh-What?" the boy stuttered nervously.

The father raised an eyebrow. "The two of you aren't married yet, boy."

'Boy' was never good; if he was addressed as 'boy', there was a problem. "W-Well... I... that's how we usually... I mean," Cason laughed nervously. "She's already pregnant. What else could hap - " He stopped when he realized his attempt at humor was failing miserably. "Okay... Guest bedroom. Right. I'll just... yeah."

Dr. Hamilton looked Cason over skeptically as he entered the door to the guest bedroom. Cason shut and locked the door behind him, leaning against it with a large sigh. After a second, he reopened his eyes and let them adjust to the dark room. A moment later he was able to see that his bed already seemed to be occupied, and he smirked, knowing exactly who it was that had stolen his place. He sat down on the edge of the mattress, lowering the covers just enough to gaze at Rylee, chuckling lightly at her. He wasn't entirely sure what she was doing here, but it was still a pleasant surprise.

"You are so beautiful, Ry," he whispered as he carefully brushed her pale golden hair out of her face. "I love you."

As Cason leaned down and gently pressed a kiss to her forehead, there was a quick knock at the door and then it opened.

"Cason, I forgot to mention - " Dr. Hamilton began before stopping suddenly at the sight of Cason jumping to his feet. His gaze wandered from the guilty looking boy to the bed, where he could see his daughter laid out.

"Sir, I... I didn't... I mean," Cason stammered quietly, glancing back and forth between the girl sleeping in his bed and her father. "I wasn't..."

Dr. Hamilton glared at him. "Look, boy, I want to trust you, but - "

"Shh..."

"Did you just tell me to - "

"I'm sorry, but she's asleep!" Cason begged in a harsh whisper.

He stared at him in confusion for a second. "What?" He walked over, shooting Cason a disbelieving glare, and looked down at the girl, observing her curiously.

Cason gulped. "Sh-She was just here when I got here. I-I wasn't going to... I mean, I'm... I'm..."

Rylee's father turned back around. "The door doesn't lock."

He blinked in confusion. "Um... sir?"

"The door doesn't lock," he repeated. "It's broken. I forgot to mention that."

"Oh. Okay. I... I kind of figured that out now, actually," he mumbled.

Dr. Hamilton laughed lightly and placed a hand on the boys shoulder. "Get some sleep, Cason."

Cason stared at the man in absolute shock. "But..."

The father patted the boy's shoulder before exiting the room. Cason remained standing in the middle of the floor, gawking at the closed door, completely stunned. He shook his head and quickly pulled off his boots and his belt. He started to unbutton his shirt to remove it as well, but stopped; if for some reason Rylee's father ended up walking in unannounced (again), it would probably be best if they were both wearing the majority of their clothes. Resigning to be mildly uncomfortable tonight, he pulled back the covers and carefully slid into bed next to Rylee. She rolled onto her side so that they were facing each other and sighed dreamily, a smile spreading across her lips.

Cason grinned and tucked the hair that had fallen into her face behind her ear. "Stars, Rylee... if it's possible, you look even more beautiful when you're asleep."

Rylee shifted closer, so Cason took the opportunity to pull her to him, rolling onto her back and letting her rest her head on his chest. His left hand gently stroked her side while his right hand held the hand she'd absentmindedly laid across his abdomen.

"Rylee," he whispered into her hair. "I love you. You are amazing, and beautiful, and the nicest girl I've ever met. Thank you so much for saying yes when I proposed. I don't know how I could live without you." His right hand slid up her arm gently while his left came to rest on her waist. "I know we're young and we didn't plan to become parents, but I'm happy that we are. You're going to be a wonderful mother, I know it, and I'm going to make sure that you and the baby have everything you need. I would do anything for you, Ry. Like I told your dad, if me leaving would make you happy, I would do it. I'd cross the Etherium and back just to see you smile... But I hope that you'll be happy just being my wife, because all I want to be now is your husband and the father of our child - or hopefully children," he laughed. "All I want to do is spend every night for the rest of my life just like this." He paused for a moment, then took a deep breath and continued. "I will never, ever do anything to hurt you, Ry - mentally, or physically, or emotionally. I will always be there to protect you. I'll make sure that nothing bad happens to you. I wan't lying when I said I couldn't live without you. I'd give my life for you, Rylee. I - "

Cason was cut short when Rylee suddenly made and odd sort of choking noise.

"Ry?" he questioned worriedly, trying to turn to look at her.

She buried her face into his chest and began to sob.

"Babe, what is it?" he asked. "Are you awake?"

Rylee rolled over, propping herself up onto her arm so she could look down at him. "I was never asleep."

Cason blanched. "Wh-What - ?"

"I was faking," she laughed through her tears, drying her eyes off with her sleeve. "I wanted to be with you, so I snuck in here, and I wanted to see how long it would take you to notice. I decided to wait when my dad came in, a-and I-I thought that you would notice when I moved closer to you, but you just..."

"I... I..." he stammered in embarrassment. "I had no idea you were awake. I-I was sure you were asleep."

"I'm glad I wasn't. I never would have gotten to hear all those nice things you said," she smiled, her eyes still tearing up. "You told me that you couldn't say it 'all romantically'."

Cason laughed nervously. "I can't if you're awake."

"Why not?"

"Um... I don't know. Not as much practice, maybe." Rylee looked at him questioningly and he chuckled in an unnaturally shy way. "I, um... I've done this every night since the first time we shared a bed."

"That was... back on Lacuna, the night after we found the fortune..."

"Yeah," Cason admitted.

Rylee smiled, her eyes still shining. "Every night?"

"Every night," he grinned. "I love you, Rylee."

Rylee continued to gape at him until Cason tentatively reached out and ran his fingers through her hair to the back of her head, lowering her lips to his. She couldn't help it - a few more tears escaped her eyes. He pulled back to look at her concernedly, wiping away the tears with his fingertips, but she just smiled.

"I love you, Cason."

Their lips met again for the briefest of moments before she lifted away. Rylee settled back against his side, wrapping one arm around his torso. Cason wrapped his arms around her, holding her there securely.

Within minutes, they fell asleep, locked in each other's embrace, for what was certainly not the first, and certainly not the last, time.

* * *

**So parts of it are a bit rushed, but hey - at least it's a chapter.**

**I'm sure I'm going to think of a hundred and fifty things I need to say down here after I post it, but none are coming to mind right now...**

**Oh, by the way, if any of you have picked up on the small continuation errors... just ignore them. Lol. After re-reading a lot of my work, I realized there have been several contradictory things (ex: In 'Fearless', Amelia didn't know that Jim had never told his mother the whole story of the voyage to Treasure Planet, and in 'Sparks Fly', she's there for the explanation.). Anyway, none of them contradict anything super important, so just pretend like they aren't there. :P And if you haven't noticed them... then don't start looking for them now. :D**

**You can still ask characters questions if you want!**

**Hope you liked it!**

**-Emily**

**+Responses to Comments+**

**anon: Wow, thank you so much! Sweet, long review! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I am working on profiles of friends, I promise! They will be up asap!**

**NeverTooLate03: Ha I may need a Writers Anonymous meeting, but Disney world sounds fun too! lol. Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy my non-lemon fluff! :D**

**23jk: Haha No way Jim would give up like that! Tabitha would tease him for the rest of their lives! :P Glad you liked it!**

**malisa: I'm glad you enjoyed it! Well, I made it kind of vague in the last chapter (how long they'd been married), but it had been around 2-3 months. Not too long.**

**S.A.M. Fonceca: Thanks! Haha I'm glad you liked the tie! I kind of think Tabitha won too - she wouldn't have given up that easily if he hadn't said that. lol**

**Blair Bear Tate Monster: Glad you liked it! Hope you liked this one as well! :D**

**MistressTaco: Thank you so much! Aw, that's sweet! It is a cute song, so I don't blame her for crying! I probably would have too. :)**

**Tsukasa-kun: Thanks! I did have fun on my trip. Haha I know! I'm surprised they made it as long as they did. :P**

**Kristy: No worries! I understand about being busy. I'm glad you liked it! Aw, thank you so much! I'm glad you think so, because writing is definitely what I plan on doing for a living. Haha When is Jim not adorable? Yep, only Tabitha can make him blush like that. Yes! Sexy Jim is yummy! :P I was so thrilled when I thought up that part. lol Yeah, poor Cason. But it worked out well!**

**Horsygirl 96: I'm glad you liked it! Thank you so much! Your chapter is still in the works, but I promise it will be awesome when I put it up since I made you wait so long. :P**

**SweetAngel183: Oh, don't apologize! It's fine. :) In fact, I think your out of the blue comment from a couple of days ago was just the motivation I needed to get this chapter up! Yeah, Tabitha can be quite devious and Jim... Well, it's Jim. What else can I say? :P Yeah, I'd never actually said anything about Cason/Rylee being intimate, but as you can see by this chapter, they have been. Glad you liked it!**

**rdollar: Thanks for reading! :P**


	10. Come A Little Closer

**Random chapter is random. This was not a chapter that was requested, or one I had originally planned to write, but I just randomly got the urge to write it... so I did.**

**I hope it helps you guys get over the whole back-to-school downer effect that's been going around. It's Jim and Tabitha fluff, and I know you guys like Jim and Tabitha fluff... Or any fluff, for that matter. :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Jim could do nothing more than stare at the door from across the street. Was he really about to do this? Was he really about to buy an engagement ring for Tabitha? Every part of him was telling him yes, but it all seemed so surreal.

It was shocking, really. Jim never would have guessed this is how his life would play out: that his first girlfriend he would meet on a voyage to a legendary place from his favorite childhood story, that she'd come back and live with them, that they'd go to the academy together... He'd had no idea that she would change his life so much, that he would fall in love with her. Because that's what he was - in love with her. It had hit him all of a sudden, really, out of the blue one night.

_It was new year's eve. Jim's mother had moved back into the new Benbow Inn while the finishing touches were put on, and so Jim and Tabitha were there as well during their winter break from school. While Mrs. Hawkins and the Dopplers had stayed in the kitchen, Jim had taken Tabitha out onto the roof to watch the fireworks someone was shooting off in the distance. He'd wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she'd leaned into him and sighed._

_That's what had caught his attention - that sigh. It was contented, and happy, and carefree, and he suddenly found himself staring at her, watching the light from the explosions play across her face, sparkle in her eyes, make her smile. That's how it hit him. Like the brightness of a firework in the night sky, something seemed to explode within him as he he realized he was in love. Really in love. With every thing about her, every moment that they'd spent together, everything they'd shared together. All of it, plus reasons he couldn't even begin to imagine yet, but knew he'd find out as well._

_"Tabitha," he'd suddenly blurted out before he'd even consciously made the decision to do so. She turned to look at him. "I'm - "_

_Somewhere along the line, the signals in his brain had gotten crossed, and he found he'd lunged forward and kissed her before he'd finished his statement. It was also more forceful than he'd meant for it to be, as if he was trying to express every emotion with that one gesture, and Tabitha ended up falling back slightly in surprise before Jim lowered his hand to her back to hold her, where she finally melted into the kiss as well._

_"5!"_

_From somewhere downstairs and all across Montressor, there was a countdown as the seconds ticked closer to the new year, but neither of them pulled away._

_"4!"_

_Tabitha repositioned herself nearer to him._

_"3!"_

_Jim pulled her even closer._

_"2!"_

_Tabitha's hands wandered to his chest._

_"1!"_

_Jim's fingers brushed through her hair._

_"Happy New Year!"_

_Jim pulled Tabitha to him, hard, trying to explain everything without speaking. Could he express how madly in love he was with her without letting their lips part? He tried, shocking them both with the intensity of the moment, something that had taken them both fully by surprise. Tabitha sighed once again and Jim finally pulled back, leaving them both completely breathless._

_"Tabitha, I..." he stopped, panting heavily, staring into her dusky blue eyes, lightheaded from something he knew wasn't the champagne from that evening. "I... I think I'm - "_

_Tabitha stopped him by initiating a quick, delicate kiss. Then, she didn't do anything but stare at him... and Jim relaxed. Something in her look reflected exactly what he was feeling, as if it was saying 'I know exactly how you feel'. The smile she cast him was brighter than the fireworks that were now drawing to an end. She knew. He didn't know if she'd just realized it as well, or if she'd known for ages... because now that he thought about it, when had he not felt this way about Tabitha? Was there ever a time he didn't want to be close to her, hold her, kiss her? Had he ever passed up an opportunity to watch her face light up the way it did, or smile, or laugh? Hadn't he always wanted to do that for her? He knew he could trace it back to that night on the Legacy he'd showed her the shooting stars..._

_Had he always been in love with Tabitha?_

_When Tabitha pulled his lips to hers again, everything said yes. Yes, he'd always loved her. Yes, he always would love her. Yes, she was the most amazing girl in the Etherium and he'd be insane not to spend the rest of his life with her. That's what he wanted, more than anything else - to spend every new years like this, with her, and as Tabitha lay down, coercing him to follow to continue the kiss, something told him that he would._

That had been over two months ago. They'd gone back to the academy a few days later, and he'd never gotten around to actually saying it. He wasn't really worried about it, not after that night. It was clear she felt the same way, but now he was facing his next concern - proposing. Even the word sent chills down his spine. It scared him, but more than anything, he wanted to be tied to her, to not have to worry about ever losing her.

So here he was, standing outside of the jewelry store on Crescentia. His mom had sent him to pick up some groceries, but thankfully, Tabitha had still been asleep, and he seized it as the perfect opportunity to go ahead and get a ring.

Finally, after stars knows how long, Jim took a deep breath and made his way quickly across the street and into the jewelry store, not pausing long enough to chicken out. His eyes quickly adjusted to bright white lights overhead and in the various glass cases. He did a once over of the store - gold and silver, diamonds and rubies, princess and square cuts... This was so out of his league.

"Stars, help me," he breathed as he ran a finger through his hair.

"Good morning, sir."

The voice made Jim jump about a foot in the air as he turned to face the salesman. He was tall and skinny, with an appearance very similar to Captain Amelia's, save for his fur was a dark brown color and his eyes were a bright green. Jim couldn't help but compare the felinoids black suit and tie with his own baggy pants, rumpled shirt, and old jacket, and once again reached the conclusion that he was way out of his element here.

"Is there anything I can help you find today?" the man asked in a cheery voice.

"Oh, erm, no... thanks," Jim stammered, unsure of why he was turning down his help.

The felinoid smiled. "Alright, well if there's anything I can help you with, just let me know. My name's Charles."

"Right. Thanks," Jim replied.

As Charles took his place behind the counter, Jim made his way around the store, glancing into the glass cases on either side of him. What the hell was he doing here alone? He should have brought his mom, Dr. Doppler, Graham, or simply accepted the sales clerk's help when it was offered. He seriously needed some moral support. A wave of panic swept through him, along with the heat of embarrassment. He couldn't do this. Not right now. He'd just have to leave looking like an idiot and come back later when -

"You look familiar."

Jim looked up, slightly confused at the sudden statement. "Uh... I was here a few years ago, to get a birthday present for my girlfriend."

"I don't think that's it," Charles frowned thoughtfully. "I've handled so many customers, I doubt I would remember you, unless you bought something very memorable."

"It was just a necklace," Jim shrugged. "Two stars with, um, purple stones..."

The felinoid observed him for a minute, then clapped his hands together. "I know! The Benbow Inn, on Montressor. Your mom works there, I believe."

"Um, yeah. She owns it."

"Your mother is Sarah Hawkins?" Jim nodded. "So you're Jim then?"

"Yeah, that's me. Jim Hawkins," Jim said.

"Every time I go, I hear her bragging about you. Not that I get to go often," Charles continued. "But I do whenever I can. She makes a great bonzabeast stew."

Jim chuckled. "I make that, actually."

Charles raised his eyebrows in surprise and laughed. "Well, my compliments to the chef."

"Thanks."

"So are you here for her?" Charles questioned. "Or is this for your girlfriend again?"

"Girlfriend. Tabitha," Jim answered.

"Anniversary?" he smiled.

"No."

"Birthday?"

"No..." Charles eyed him curiously and Jim chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "It's... well, I'm... going to propose..."

Charles blinked in surprise. "Well, now, that's an awfully big step. You sure?"

"I've never been more sure about anything in my life," he answered determinedly.

"I had a feeling I'd get an answer like that from you," the clerk smirked. "Alright, now, let's see: You said you were here a few years ago, and you bought that necklace for her, right?"

"Yeah," Jim agreed.

"And did she like it?"

"She loved it."

"Well, clearly you know what she likes then. However, rings, especially engagement rings, tend to be a bit trickier. More options and all that. Are you sure you wouldn't like some help?"

Jim sighed and shook his head as he chuckled. "Yeah. Yeah, help would be great, thanks."

Charles escorted Jim around, showing him the various types of rings. Jim quickly ruled out the typical silver band, single diamond look. It didn't look even remotely like something he could ever see Tabitha wearing, and he made this clear. So they slowly branched out from there, first looking at different cuts for the diamonds, then different colors for the band, different settings...

"You certainly know what you don't want," Charles laughed.

Jim felt his face warm. "I'm sorry if I'm taking up too much of your time."

Charles clapped a hand on his shoulder. "In case you haven't noticed, you're the only customer I've had all morning. Besides, knowing what you don't want is a good thing. I've helped plenty of gentleman who didn't have a clue what their future fiance's would want or like. You're better off then them."

"I guess," Jim mumbled. "It's just that... Tabitha isn't ordinary. She needs something different. I just can't picture her wearing something as typical as a simple, diamond ring. That doesn't seem like her at all."

"So let me see," Charles began. "Something different, not too simple, and without a diamond. Sound about right?"

"Can you get an engagement ring without a diamond?" the confused young man questioned. "Isn't that a rule or something?"

Charles laughed heartily. "Lad, you need to get your story straight. One minute you're telling me that Tabitha is anything but ordinary and the next your telling me you want to stick to the stereotypes for her engagement ring. Now which is it?"

"It's the first. Anything but ordinary," Jim chuckled.

"Right. Now, I think I have an idea of what you might be looking for..."

Charles lead him over to yet another glass case, this one containing the strangest variety of rings. They were not organized and uniform like most of the other cases had been. This box consisted of every size, cut, style, and color you could ever want.

"I have the feeling that something here might be - "

"That one," Jim interrupted, pointing out the ring he knew would be Tabitha's future engagement ring.

"... more to your liking," Charles trailed off as he turned to look at the ring in question. "Which one?"

Jim pointed it out. He knew it didn't look anything like an engagement ring, and he knew that Tabitha would love it. Charles unlocked the glass case and pulled out the item, handing it to Jim so he could observe it more closely. The band was silver. In the center was a small, round, aquamarine stone, and beside it were two even smaller, round, orange colored gemstones. If they'd been any bigger, the ring probably would have looked gaudy, but they were just small enough to catch your attention and refract the light. It was different, but not so different that it would be considered weird. It was beautiful, and Jim knew it was perfect.

"So that's it then?" Charles asked.

Jim smiled, not taking his eyes off the ring. "Yeah. That's it."

"Well, alright. Let's get this ring bought and paid for," Charles said as he took the ring from Jim and made his way over to the cash register.

Jim froze. "Um... how much is this going to cost exactly?"

"Well, let's see..."

Charles scribbled down notes on all of the details of the ring and calculated the total, pointing out the final amount to Jim.

Jim almost fell out. He didn't have that much. He didn't have nearly that much. At least not with him. He had plenty set aside that he'd been saving for years, 'just in case', but he stupidly hadn't thought to bring it. He couldn't bring himself to say it, to put it back. It was perfect, and he didn't want to risk losing it because someone came and bought it before he had the chance to return. He'd have to figure out something else to -

"A few dollars short?" Charles questioned.

"Yeah, a few..." Jim mumbled the understatement. "Sorry. I didn't think to - "

"Mr. Hawkins, you aren't the first to find the perfect ring and not have enough," the salesman smiled. "Which is why we can put it on hold for you."

Jim's face lit up. "You can?"

"Yes, for 60 days."

His face fell again. "That won't work."

"Afraid you still won't have quite that much?" Charles asked sadly.

"No. It's just that we leave to go back to the Academy tomorrow, and we won't be back until after graduation."

"Closer to 90 days, eh?" He looked around nervously, double-checking to see if they were still alone in the store. "Alright, I'll make a deal with you. You seem very determined to get this ring - "

"I am," he assured the felinoid.

"So I'll make sure that it's still here when you return after graduation."

"Really?" Jim asked excitedly.

"Yes, but don't tell anyone!" Charles smirked. "I'm not really supposed to do this, but I think I can make an exception for someone who makes such exceptional bonzabeast stew."

Jim laughed. "Wow, thanks. Thank you so much!"

* * *

"Here you go: One bowl of bonzabeast - Oh," Jim stopped as he approached the table. "Hey!"

Charles chuckled and put down the paper he'd been reading. "My coworker told me you stopped by yesterday. I came to see how things were going... in that aspect."

"Oh, right, um, well..." Jim looked around and lowered his voice. "I haven't done it yet, but I've got it all planned out. I'm going to do it this weekend, after - "

"Jim!"

Jim jumped at the sound of his name. "Oh. Hey!"

Tabitha smiled. "Dr. Doppler told me that he needs to talk with you."

"Did he say why?" Jim asked in confusion.

"Nope, but he was smiling, so I guess it's about something good," she laughed.

Jim chuckled and suddenly remembered his manners. "Oh, Tabitha this is Charles. Charles this is Tabitha."

"Hello," Tabitha greeted as she shook his hand. "How do you know Jim?"

"Well, I frequent the inn as often as I can for the bonzabeast stew, but I also sold him the necklace he gave to you for your birthday a few years ago."

"This one?" Tabitha gasped as she reached under her blouse to grab the small charm that was dangling on a silver chain.

"You're wearing it?" Jim asked in surprise.

"Of course," she smiled.

"Yes," Charles laughed. "That's the one."

"I love it. Did you help him pick it out?"

"No, ma'am. Mr. Hawkins here picked it out all on his own."

"Really?" Tabitha turned and smiled at Jim.

Jim scratched the back of his neck and shrugged, a smile playing at the corner of his lips.

She leaned over and quickly kissed his cheek. "Thank you. Again."

Charles laughed as Jim's face flushed slightly. "Did you attend the academy as well?"

"Yep," Jim smirked, casting Tabitha a sideways glance. "She graduated Valedictorian at the Interstellar Academy of Medicine."

"Really now? Well, congratulations!"

She blushed modestly. "Thank you."

"Seems Jim here's lucky to have you," Charles winked.

Tabitha bit her lip. "Actually, I think I'm lucky to have him."

Tabitha caught Jim's eye for a second and he grinned. Before her cheeks could flush any brighter, she left the room and the chuckling pair of men behind.

"Well, judging by that, I don't think you have to worry about what her answer will be," Charles assured.

"Thanks," Jim smiled. "Well, um, enjoy your meal. I've got to go see what Doc wants."

"Of course. And Jim?" Jim turned around and raised his eyebrows. "You were right. She is certainly anything but ordinary."

With a smile, Jim turned and headed into the kitchen, only to be greeted by Dr. Doppler staring at him nervously, as if he'd been waiting for him to enter the room. He stopped, wondering how Doc's demeanor had changed from the one Tabitha had mentioned a moment ago.

"Jim, I need to speak with you," he stated.

"Uh, okay?"

"About your relationship with Tabitha."

Jim gulped. "What about it?"

"You know I've been helping your mother out, since so many guests have recently arrived for the grand re-opening of the inn?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, I was helping with the laundry this morning and - " Dr. Doppler sighed and held out a small black box. "I found this in the pocket of your trousers."

Jim's eyes widened as he stepped forward and grabbed it.

"Jim, marriage is a big decision, especially for someone as young as you!"

"Doc, I - " he stopped and glanced around, then decided to keep his voice low just to be on the safe side. "I know we're young, but we've been dating for three years, and I've never even come _close_ to feeling the way I do for Tabitha with any other girl. She's the one, Doc. I'm in love with her, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

"But are you sure? Absolutely certain?" Delbert asked worriedly. "How long ago did you decide this?"

"I realized on New Years Eve that that was how I wanted to spend every beginning of every year for the rest of my life. With her. I can't even imagine living without her. I-I'm going to propose." Delbert sighed, looking the young man over anxiously. Jim clenched his jaw. "Why is it so hard for you to believe that I'm in love? We've dating three times as long as you and Amelia were before you proposed, and - "

"I never said I didn't think you were in love." Dr. Doppler smiled. "I know that you are. It's clear as day."

"You aren't trying to stop me?" Jim questioned.

He chuckled. "Not at all, and I don't think I could even if I was. I haven't seen you sound so sure of anything since you were begging Sarah to go to Treasure Planet."

"Doc, I'm a hundred times more sure about this than I was about that."

"I believe it. I just wanted to see if you needed any fears quelled, and to say that you're welcome for keeping this hidden from Sarah. Do you have any idea what your mother would have said if she'd found this?"

Jim chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I can imagine."

Dr. Doppler smiled, placing his hands on the boys shoulders. "It's going to be alright. You seem significantly more calm than I was when I proposed to Amelia, and you have every right to be. I've watched the way you and Tabitha interact since the beginning, and if what the two of you have isn't love, I don't know what is."

* * *

That had been almost two years ago. The next few months were spent in Lacuna until finally had the chance to propose. The six months after that were spent with Jim grounded and he and Tabitha planning the wedding. Now, one year after their wedding day, they were just as in love as ever, and anyone in the Etherium would know it just by looking at them.

"Okay, I'm here," Tabitha announced as she came flouncing out onto the porch of the Benbow the night of their one year anniversary. "Jim?"

Suddenly, a piece of fabric covered her eyes as someone wrapped a blindfold around her from behind. She smirked. "Jim, what are you doing?"

"Surprising you," he whispered in her ear.

"I know that," she said, reaching out her arms to help guide her. "But what kind of surprise? Why do I have to be blindfolded?"

"Can't you just trust me?" he asked, taking her outstretched hands in his own.

"Give me one good reason I should," she smirked.

Jim's hand reached around to the back of her head and pulled her into a kiss. "That good enough for you?"

"I guess so," she sighed in mock disappointment.

He laughed quietly and leaned in to whisper, "There's more where that came from."

"Oh?" she asked coyly as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Jim laughed and leaned down to kiss her again, his hands pulling her hips closer to him. "Hey, what are you doing in my shirt?" he asked amusedly as he finally noticed she was wearing one of his button up shirts.

She shrugged, but a teasing grin stretched across your face. "What's it matter? We're just going to be taking if off later anyway, right?"

Jim thought about this for a minute, then stopped. "Okay, you know what? New plan."

"What do you mean new - ah!" Tabitha squealed as an arm scooped up her legs and lifted her off the ground. "Why are you carrying me?" she laughed.

"It would take too long to try and navigate you to where we're going."

"Why are you suddenly in such a hurry?" she teased.

"Because I'd rather not waste a lot of time trying to lead you to where we're going when I could be spending that time making love with you," he chuckled.

Tabitha blushed. "Please tell me we're alone right now and no one heard that."

"Nah, don't worry," he mockingly soothed. "I think only a few dozen or so caught it."

Tabitha slapped him playfully, knowing he was only messing with her.

"Just keep the blindfold on and it will still be a surpri - hey, no peeking!" he laughed as he caught her lifting up the bottom of the fabric.

"I wasn't," she jokingly lied. He tickled her side and she squealed, nearly wriggling out of his arms. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry! I won't peek!"

"I'll tell you when you can look," he explained.

She nodded, listening to the sound of his feet on the gravel road and trying to figure out exactly where they were. "Now?"

"No," he laughed.

"...Now?"

"No..."

"What about now?"

"You've got to be the most impatient person I know," he teased.

"Hey! I can be patient! How long did I wait for you to propose?"

"Oh ha ha," he mocked. "Will you ever let me live that down?"

"Hmm, I'll think about it," she giggled, lacing her arms tighter around his neck to hold on. "So how long until we get to this big surprise."

"Not long at all. In fact, we're here right..." He set her down. "Now."

"Can I take the blindfold off?" she asked, questioning the air completely opposite of where Jim was standing.

Jim smiled, turned her the right direction, and untied the fabric of the blindfold. Tabitha's eyes adjusted to the light of the sunset, blinking rapidly before finally looking around her. They were just down the road from the Benbow. She turned and looked what was in front of her - a house. A small, brown, two-story house. The house that Silver and Abigail were supposedly moving into... After a moment, it all became clear and her jaw dropped.

Jim placed his hands on her shoulders from behind and kissed her cheek. "Happy anniversary, Tabitha."

"Th-The house?" Tabitha gasped.

"No, what's behind the house," he said sarcastically. "Of course the house!"

"But... This is Silver and Abigail's house... right?" she questioned.

Jim shook his head. "No. Sorry, we had to keep it a secret from you. Silver and Abigail are staying at the inn."

"So... this is... _our_ house?" she asked in quiet awe.

"No." He waited until she turned to look at him in confusion before smiling and adding, "This is our home."

Tabitha broke out into a huge smile and threw her arms around his neck. "It's perfect."

"I'm glad you think so," he chuckled, returning her embrace.

"Now I feel awful," she blurted out. "Why on Montressor did you convince me not to get you anything when you went and got us a _house_?"

"Because of exactly that - I got _us_ a house," he repeated. "It's a gift for both of us, just a surprise one for you. Besides, I didn't want anything anyway."

"But how much work did you put into this? They've been building this house for months now!"

"Silver helped me draw up the blueprints, I used the savings we had set aside for exactly this purpose to fund it. All I really did was present it to you," he shrugged.

Tabitha shook her head and smiled. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He leaned over and kissed her. "Now, do you want to check out the inside before you just start assuming it's perfect?"

"Yeah, let's go!"

Tabitha started to rush in, but Jim grabbed her wrist and held her back. "Nuh-uh. Not so fast."

"What? Why?"

Jim smirked, then swung her up into his arms bridal style.

"Wha - Why are you carrying me again?" she giggled as she wrapped her arms around her neck.

"It's tradition. I've got to carry you over the threshold," he explained as they started up the path towards their house.

"I thought that's what you were supposed to do right after you got married...?" she inquired.

"Well, usually it is," he said as he carried her up the 3 small steps to there covered patio. "But I didn't want to do it while we were still living at the Benbow. I wanted to wait until I could carry you into our own home."

"Oh, Jim," Tabitha smiled and kissed his cheek. "That's sweet."

He chuckled. "Okay. You ready?"

Jim looked into her eyes expectantly. Tabitha took a deep breath, smiled, then reached out and opened the door for them. Jim stepped purposefully into the room then put Tabitha down.

"Welcome home," he said quietly as he leaned down to kiss her. "Now come on, let's look around."

Jim grabbed her hand and together they made their way through the house, starting with the living room they were currently standing in. It was average size, a few pieces of furniture focused around a fireplace to their right, and to their left, a staircase. He pulled her up the stairs to show and led her first to the washroom, then the three bedrooms - all with only the basic furniture for now -

"How many bedrooms did you put into this place?" Tabitha laughed as they exited the third.

He smirked. "Well, we're going to need the space with all the kids we're going to have."

"And how many kids are we going to have?" she questioned amusedly.

"Hmm... six?" he asked for approval.

"Six?" she repeated incredulously before giggling. "I'd say a dozen, at least."

"Then we'd better get started," he said slyly, pulling her back down the stairs.

They laughed as he showed her the office/library just off of the living room, three walls covered floor to ceiling with bookshelves, one wall with a desk. Then the kitchen/dining room at the back of the house. The back wall was made up mostly of windows that opened on to the lot behind their house. Their was a back door leading outside, and a door on the wall to their left.

"I'm not sure we'll ever actually use the kitchen, seeing as you don't cook much, and if I'm going to cook, then we might as well just go over to the inn and eat there," he laughed. "But I still thought we needed one."

Tabitha turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's even better than I thought it would be. Thank you so much."

"Oh, don't thank me yet," he said slyly. "There's still one more room, and trust me, it's the best room of the house."

With that, he picked her up and carried her to a door at the back of the left wall of the kitchen.

"Why are you carrying me _again_?" she laughed.

He shrugged, but that playful smirk that she knew meant he was up to something was working its way across his lips. The door, that Tabitha had assumed was a closet or a pantry, actually lead to a very small entryway that in turn opened onto another, larger room.

"Welcome to our own, private bedroom," he introduced.

"Oh, Jim..." Tabitha said breathlessly.

To her right, there was a small vanity with a door next to it that opened into their washroom. On the wall to her left, a closet and a dresser. Next to the door they'd just entered from was a waist-high table that stretched half the length of the wall, currently bare, save for a couple of photos of her and Jim from when they were younger and one from their wedding day. What made it so beautiful though was what was straight in front of her. On either side of the large king size bed were two gigantic floor to ceiling windows, edged by billowing white curtains, that revealed the edge of the cliff behind their house and beyond that, the sky. She gasped at the sight of it in the twilight - purple, just beginning to sparkle with stars.

"This is beautiful..."

Jim smiled at how completely awestruck she looked until she glanced back up at him. "So why was it I couldn't walk in here on my own?"

He smirked. "Because I wanted to be able to do this."

He walked over to their bed and gently laid her down as he climbed in over her, kissing her as he lowered his body to hers.

Tabitha gasped. "Shouldn't we at least close the door?" she asked, anxiously glancing to their still open bedroom door. "What if someone comes by?"

"We're not at the Benbow anymore," Jim continued to kiss along her neck. "This is our house. Just ours. There's no one else here..."

"But what if Silver and Abigail... o-or your mom or somebody... wants to stop by and say... c-congratulations or something?" she panted.

Jim stopped and looked down at her, raising his eyebrows and grinning. "Tabitha, our parents know that we just got this house and that it's our anniversary. They're smart enough to figure out we need some privacy."

Tabitha flushed lightly. "Oh. Right..."

"Oh, wait! I forgot something," he remembered, rolling off her and heading back to the kitchen.

She sat up and looked around their bedroom. _Their_ bedroom, in _their_ house - No, in their home.

_Home_. Strangely enough, Tabitha found her chest shuddering at the word.

"Here," Jim began as he entered the room again, carrying two glasses and a bottle of champagne. "Almost forgot I had this."

Tabitha smiled and walked over to her husband. "You really went all out, didn't you?"

He laughed and shrugged as he poured the bubbly drink and passed a glass to her, clinking them together. "Oh, wait... What exactly are we toasting?"

She shrugged, looking away thoughtfully. Jim frowned, picking up on how Tabitha had suddenly lost that fun spark she'd had a few minutes ago.

His free hand reached out and gently stroked her cheek. "Tabitha?"

"Hmm?" she questioned, turning to look up at him.

"What is it?" he asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

Tabitha shook her head. "Nothing. I was just thinking about how... this is the first real home I've had in a long time." Jim's brow furrowed as he gazed down at her, but she didn't meet his eyes; she kept staring off into the distance. "When my dad was still around, I had a house, but... you know how he was. I mean, I know now that he was just trying to keep me safe, b-but still. And then Silver treated me like family, but we never had a real place to live because we were always traveling. Then it was the academy, and the inn - which I guess was a place I had a home and family, but... this is different," she laughed breathily, looking up at him. "This is the... realest home I've ever had, a-and it... r-really means a lot..."

Jim took both their glasses and set them on the table. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him, resting his chin on top of her head. Her arms got curled up between them as she started to tear up. He swayed her slightly on the spot, rocking her back and forth in in a soothing motion.

"I-It really means a lot to me," she continued almost silently. "That y-you went through all the trouble to... not only get us a house, b-but surprise me, too..."

Jim tilted his head to look down at her, placing a finger on her chin and raising it. "Tabitha, you don't have to thank me," he smiled sincerely. "This has always be my dream - to get married, have a place of our own, raise a family together. It wasn't any trouble. And as far as surprising you..." He laughed. "I've done that every chance I got since the night I showed you the shooting stars on the Legacy and saw your face light up like that for the first time. I enjoy making you that happy." He took half a step closer, his face more serious now. "I love you, Tabitha."

She smiled, thankful that her tears were slowing instead of developing into sobs. "I love you, too, Jim."

He smiled and placed a kiss against her temple as he held her close to him once again. A moment later, she ever so slowly pulled back, smiling now, and reached for her glass. Jim did the same and they tilted them up in unison. As they started to lower them again, Tabitha's eyes fell on Jim's, and her breath suddenly caught within her lungs.

She'd never be able to figure out he could still send that electric shock of adrenaline through her veins with only a glance after four years, but it was still one of her favorite things about their relationship. His empty hand gently repositioned itself around her neck, tousling her hair slightly as he pulled himself closer to her. Her eyes closed, in expectation, or to savor the feeling, but all she got was the tingle of his breath against her lips and then the feeling of his hand moving, slipping away down her arm before lightly grasping her fingertips.

Her eyes opened just in time to see the slightest hint of a smile on his lips as he moved across the room and sat down on the mattress, pulling himself back until he was leaned against the headboard of their bed. He waited. Her chest heaving by now, she finished off her drink and set the empty glass down. She stepped out of her pants. His eyes skimmed over her, suddenly very thankful that she'd chosen to wear his shirt, as his sights followed from her shoulders, the neckline and the first two buttons opened, to the hem that fell halfway down her thigh, her long, smooth legs that led her to him now. She crossed the room and crawled over the sheets. He leaned up just enough to pull her over him, so that she was straddling his upper legs, before leaning back again.

Every move they made was careful, yet unplanned. It was slow, calm, intimate. No rush. Passionate, yes, but sensually, not sexually. It wasn't loud, energized, it was like a whispered confession - softer, but still with the same, thriving emotions. Every second held its own in the grand scheme of things. They had all the time life could offer, and they were taking advantage of it.

As he finished off the last of his champagne, Jim sat up so Tabitha could pull his shirt off, her palms sliding over his torso on their way back down. His hands skimmed up her back as he finally brought their lips together, gently, tenderly. His fingers worked their way through the buttons of her shirt until they were opened. She moved back, gently squeezing his shoulders as he fisted the fabric of the shirt at her shoulder, pulling it down until it fell around her hips. He followed the same path again, this time over bared skin, his fingertips caressing the sides of her back in time to hers doing the same along the muscles of his chest.

A moment later and his fingers moved down the middle of her lower back, over the spot he'd been just missing for what felt like hours. Now they reached it and Tabitha reflexively leaned forward. Jim's smile grew as she laid down against him, her muscles tensing slightly. His hand's encircled her waist and rolled her to his side. She kept one leg draped over his lower body as her hand ran down his arm, her movements a shade faster now than before. His tempo increased slightly as well, his hand gripping her hip just long enough for him to pull her closer before continuing down her thigh to her knee, then back.

Their bodies worked on their own, no movement premeditated. Tabitha's other hand moved back and forth, lightly outlining the muscles of his abdomen. Jim's other laced into her hair, then across her cheek as he placed their foreheads together.

They stopped in unison. Her eyes, hooded with desire, mirrored his as he looked at her eagerly. They were paused, reveling in a moment they wanted to last forever. Jim looked down at her, the room silent, save for the sound of their breathing and the white noise of anticipation. Neither one of them spoke, nor could they if they'd wanted to.

The desire finally mounted to its peak and neither of them could take it anymore. As Tabitha's hands gripped the hair at the back of his head, and Jim wrapped his arm around her and laid her to the bed, they kissed, and the sound of the long-forgotten champagne glass shattering to the floor was lost on them as they began to unravel the events of the rest of the night.

* * *

**That ending bit was directly inspired by the music and video of 'Come a Little Closer' by Dierks Bentley. The music video is so passionate, and the song is just so sensual. I've become obsessed with it, and it was just too adorable not to write something to it. :D**

**Hmm... There's probably something I should be saying here... but I don't know what it is. :P**

**Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it!**  
**-Emily**

**+Responses to Reviews+**

**MistressTaco: Yep, yep! Rylee's pregnant! I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)**

**23jk: Haha Yeah, there's a lot of cuteness! And there's even more in this chapter! Hope I didn't cuteness overload you! Thanks!**

**malisa: Yep, Rylee and Cason beat Jim and Tabitha to the chase. Eep! I know! Rylee's dad was pretty scary. *Le gasp!* Liking Cason MORE than Jim? Oh my goodness! Well, to be honest, they're both pretty darn adorable, so I can't blame you. :) Thanks!**

**anon: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it! Ooh, bachelor parties... That could be interesting... XD You know, that could be pretty funny. I may have to write a one-shot about that...**

**Blair Bear Tate Monster: Haha thank you! I'm glad you thought it balanced well. I try to do that, except occasionally with chapters like this one. :D Thank you for the birthday wishes! So far I am enjoying my stay in 'adult age'. Yeah, this whole I'm about to start college thing paired with the I have a romance thing is just... overwhelming, I guess. Haha. Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!**

**NeverTooLate03: LOL! Juno quotes FTW! I love that movie. :D Haha I'm glad you liked the pure amazingness of it. XD**

**Tsukasa-kun: Haha Thanks! Yeah, I'm sure Cason wasn't having the easiest time being fearless in front of someone like that!**

**SweetAngel183: Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it. I did try to sweeten up Cason's personality for this chapter because, even though he can be kind of rough, he actually is really sweet, especially to Rylee. :)**

**ADangerousPastime: Haha "It's so fluffy I'm gonna die!" That's what your comment made me think of. :D Wow, rivaling Jim and Tabitha! That is something. You weren't the only person who said something like that. I'd originally planned to post a Landon/Isabelle chapter instead of this one, but this one just... showed up. XD So I think it'll be the next one. Wow, thank you so much! I'm glad you like it, and I'm so glad I keep everyone in character! That can be HARD sometimes!**

**Horseygirl 96: I'm glad you liked it! I'm not sure about the wedding. I'll add it to my list of ideas and see if I get struck with some inspiration! :) Thank you!**

**xMissImaginationx/S.A.M. Fonceca: Yep, Rylee's pregnant, and Cason (surprisingly) earned her dad's approval and didn't die! I think I may add something somewhere along the line of people's reactions to her pregnancy. Thank you!**

**Kristy: Haha Yep, Rylee and Cason beat Jim and Tabitha! Surprising, huh? Yes, Cason can come across as kind of gruff, but he's really just a big teddy bear. :D Thank you!**


	11. The First Time

**Hooray! I'm not dead!**

**I know it's been FOREVER and I am SO SORRY. College attacked me. But that shouldn't be a problem anymore as I'm taking a leave of absence. No, I didn't drop out. They're holding all my scholarships and I get to go back and try again next year. Long story short, it didn't feel right, and I wanted to focus on writing. Not just fanfiction. I'm actually in the process of writing a book! But it's a long process... so we'll just have to see how that goes.**

**Anyway, here's a chapter! It wasn't one that was requested by anybody, but I had the idea and just went with it. It focuses on Silver and Tabby's relationship before the voyage to Treasure Planet.**

**I'm not entirely happy with the way it came out, but it's pretty good, and I was nothing short of exasperated and HAD to post SOMETHING. So here you go!**

**Enjoy!**

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* * *

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"What color ya got goin' fer ya tonight, lass?"

Tabitha turned around from her place at the front of the ship to face Silver as he approached. "Oh. It's actually two colors tonight..."

"Is that so?"

"Mm-hmm." She peered back out at Meddyliau through her periscope. "One of them is blue, so that means I'm happy, but the other is yellow..." She closed the scope and turned back to him. "What does that mean?"

Silver chuckled. "It means that love be a'bloomin'."

"Love?" she repeated in shock.

"I reckon it just means ya like someone," he assured her.

"Oh..." Tabitha quickly turned back around to look out at the Etherium.

Silver smirked and leaned against the edge of the ship beside her. "So, who is it yer swoonin' over?"

She looked at him aghast, blushing a bright pink. "I am not _swooning_ over anyone!"

"Tabby, I been around long enough t' know t'at first of all, t'at planet don't lie, an' second, ya like someone. Now, who is it?" She blushed, but didn't respond. Silver smirked and raised an eyebrow. "It ain't someone on t'is ship, is it?"

Tabitha turned to look at him. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Silver blinked. "Lass, yer much to young to be gettin' involved wit' any o' t'e men on t'is crew. Even the youngest one's a few years yer senior - "

"A few years isn't that much..." she mumbled.

"T'is at yer age!" Tabitha simply lowered her gaze and refused to argue the point. Silver sighed. "So it's Henry t'en?"

"What about Henry?"

Both Silver and Tabitha turned as Henry himself approached them. It was no wonder she liked him, really. He was tall, dark, and handsome, the son of the Captain, with a promising future of his own. His skin was bronzed from spending so much time outdoors on his father's ships, and it paired nicely with his jet black hair and brown eyes. The problem was that he knew he was handsome, that he could easily lure in any girl he wanted with his smooth-talking and devilish looks, and Silver heard enough bragging from him at night, after Tabitha had gone to bed, to know that's just what he did, every chance he got.

Tabitha was wide-eyed and still as a statue. Not only was she terrified that her conversation with Silver had been overheard, but Henry had taken the liberty to half-unbutton his shirt, and she embarrassingly found herself unable to look away.

Silver shook his head as he quickly covered for her. "Tabby here was just wonderin' how old ya are."

Henry raised an eyebrow skeptically at Silver, then turned to Tabitha and grinned. "I'm seventeen."

Silver raised his eyebrows as if trying to point out that Henry was clearly to old for her. Tabitha looked back and forth between them, then lowered her head in embarrassment.

"I-I'm going to bed," she mumbled quietly.

"Oh, then allow me to escort you," Henry volunteered, bowing in jokingly formal way.

Tabitha's eyes widened. "O-Okay..." She shakily laced her hand through the arm he offered. "'Night, Silver."

"Aye. 'Night, lass," he said, keeping his gaze focused on them completely as they walked down to the crew's quarters.

"So tell me, Tabitha," Henry began slyly. "What was the real reason you were talking about me?"

Tabitha opened her mouth to argue but instead only emitted a small gasp. Henry smirked, raising an eyebrow teasingly at her. She blushed and looked the opposite direction. "W-We... um..."

"What is it?"

"I-I, um... I was just saying that... I-I think you'll make a good captain one day," she blurted unconvincingly.

"I see," he said amusedly, obviously not buying it. "Well... what a coincidence, because I was just thinking that if I ever became a captain, you would make a wonderful first mate."

Tabitha blinked and turned to look at him as they halted in the middle of the hallway. "Wh-What? Me?"

"Of course. I've been watching you, Tabitha," Henry said in a low, suggestive voice. "You're only the cabin girl, and yet you work harder than most of the men on this crew. I'd be honored to have such a diligent - and not to mention beautiful - woman at my side."

Tabitha could feel her face radiating heat as hot as a supernova. She knew her mouth was hanging open and her eyes were wide in shock, but she couldn't bring herself to move, or even breathe.

Henry smiled. "Goodnight, Tabitha."

With that, he quickly kissed her cheek and turned to leave. Tabitha stood, frozen in some strange mix of emotions she didn't recognize. She was certain if she looked at Meddyliau now, it would be a rainbow of confusion, much like her thoughts. Heart pounding, mouth dry, and body trembling, she settled into her hammock and tried to make her heartbeat return to normal. Occasionally, she got it to settle slightly, but almost instantly, the thought of Henry would pop back into her mind, and her heart would be pounding once again.

* * *

Despite the fact she spent the whole night tossing and turning in excitement, she awoke the next morning feeling unusually energized, probably still running on the adrenaline rush from the night before. She came flouncing into the galley to meet Silver, beaming a huge smile for no apparent reason.

"Morning, lass..." Silver said, skeptical of why the girl who usually trudged into the galley moaning about how tired she was was suddenly so lively.

"Good morning!" she greeted cheerfully as she grabbed a stack of bowls and placed them beside Silver so he could start serving up breakfast.

"Ya seem awfully giddy t'is mornin'," he chuckled. "What's gotcha so hyped up?"

She shrugged, unable to shake the stupid grin off her face. While her back was turned as she placed the silverware out on the tables, he eyed her warily. "Tabby - "

But before he could say anything else, several of the crew members came lumbering downstairs for breakfast, with Henry leading the way. Tabitha froze for only a second, but Silver caught it and sighed to himself - this was not good.

"Good morning, Tabitha," Henry greeted.

"Oh, um... morning," she replied.

"Sleep well?"

"F-Fine thanks." Her mind scoffed at the flat out lie.

The group of crew members that had come down with Henry snickered quietly, but said nothing. As Tabitha began serving Silver's meal into bowls at the counter, Henry smirked and approached her. He began searching the cabinets above Tabitha's head. She didn't pay much attention until she turned around and found Henry leaned over her, one arm braced against the counter beside her and one outstretched for the door of the cabinet. She gasped at how close they were, her body pinned between his and the counter.

"Sorry," he smiled slyly. "I'm trying to find a mug."

Tabitha opened her mouth, but the lump in her throat prevented her from doing anything. His chocolate brown eyes flashed a spark of something that she was sure would make her heart stop. His grin broadened just before there was a tap at his shoulder.

"Ahem," Silver said, handing Henry a mug.

Henry looked displeased for only a second before he smiled. "Oh. Thanks, Silver."

Silver merely grunted in response, casting the older boy a disapproving glance. As Henry went to take his seat at the table, Tabitha's chest spasmed and she managed to gasp in a breath of her air, feeling her face warm to feverish temperatures. This was not a reaction that got past Silver, and he made sure to question her about it.

"What in blue blazes has gotten into ya, lass?" he hissed.

"Nothing!" she countered.

Silver scoffed. "Tabby, that boy's no good fer ya. He ain't worth yer time. 'Esides, yer too young t' be - "

"I am not too young!" she nearly shouted, catching the attention of several crew members who were eating breakfast. She quickly lowered her voice to a fierce whisper. "I'm not too young. I'm thirteen. I'm not looking to marry the guy, I just like him."

"I don't t'ink he likes ya t'e same way, lass."

"It's not like I can just stop liking him..." she admitted.

Silver sighed, cursing himself for ever taking on the responsibility of raising a young girl. "Tabby... Jus' t'ink about it. Don't lose yer head."

"Don't worry. I won't," she said stubbornly before turning on her heel and stomping out of the galley.

* * *

Tabitha was once again been looking at Meddyliau. It was always a pain to have to wait until it got dark to see it, but as soon as it did, she was out on the upper deck with her periscope. It wasn't that she didn't know how she was feeling - she knew she was frustrated with Silver and crushing on Henry - but sometimes looking at the colors of the planet helped her figure out things she didn't quite understand. Tonight, for example, it was just yellow. There was absolutely nothing to represent her anger toward Silver at the moment, which got her thinking. Was she even mad at Silver? No, not exactly. She was more frustrated. But it wasn't even that really. She knew he was just trying to look after her, and she appreciated that, because he was her protector. So maybe she wasn't even frustrated, because she knew he was just doing it to care for her, so what was -

Tabitha jumped about a foot in the air when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jerked around to find Henry looking not surprised, but amused by her reaction.

"Good evening," he chuckled.

"Oh. Um, yeah, hey," she stammered, immediately wanting to smack herself for her complete lack of causality.

He smirked and took a place beside her at the railing of the ship. "What is it that had you're attention so enraptured?"

"Oh, um, nothing," she stated, sliding the periscope discretely back into her pocket. "Just stargazing."

Henry said nothing, so Tabitha felt the need to continue talking, in hopes of diffusing the slight awkwardness. "They're beautiful, aren't they?"

"What? The stars?" he scoffed.

"You don't think so?"

He smirked. "Not when I compare them to you."

Tabitha blushed and lowered her head, but tried to laugh it off still. "Come on, even I know that was cheesy."

He laughed. "Are you saying I wasn't sincere in my compliment?"

"I'm saying that was a line if I ever heard one," she giggled. "You'll have to do better than that."

"Well, well. Aren't we a bit full of ourselves?" he teased.

"I am not!" she countered. "I just can't be so easily swayed."

"And exactly what do you believe I was trying to sway you into?"

Tabitha blinked, but could give no logical answer.

"A dance perhaps?" he grinned, bowing and holding out his hand.

"What?" she laughed.

"A dance," he repeated as he took her hand and pulled her closer.

"But..." She started to object, but as soon as his hand found her waist and he stared down into her eyes like that, she found she couldn't. "Don't we look a bit ridiculous? Dancing to no music out here in the middle of the night."

Henry laughed. "Of course not, love. It's romantic."

Tabitha bit her lip to keep her smile from broadening too much, but suddenly became entangled in her own feet. With a small gasp, she stumbled to the side and braced herself to fall... Only to be caught by Henry in such a natural manner that he appeared to just be dipping her in the dance.

"A bit clumsy?" he smiled.

Tabitha could feel her face heating and couldn't bring herself to do more than nod. In a second, he'd pulled her back to her feet and against him.

"I'll simply have to hold you tighter then."

Still, she was unable to speak. She was too concentrated on the feel of his hand on the small of her back and the way his brown eyes were glowing and the warm chills he was giving her. She abruptly realized how close they were. Not just their bodies, their faces. Henry, who stood at least six or seven inches taller than her, was leaning down, hie eyes still locked on hers. Her breath caught completely and she knew what was coming and -

Henry sighed when his lips met her cheek. Tabitha didn't know what possessed her to turn her head, but it had just happened. Now that it had though, she was silently cursing herself: What was she thinking? That's what she wanted, wasn't it?

Henry chuckled and pulled away as if that's what he'd meant to do all along. "Goodnight, Tabitha."

Tabitha, looking hurt and completely bewildered, had absolutely no idea what to say, so she just turned and walked away, her mind blank, her heart racing, and nausea rolling through her stomach. Henry stared after her, a sly smirk spreading across his lips, before he turned and took his place for the evening watch.

* * *

The next few days passed with similar interactions. Henry did everything he could thing of that brought that bright blush to her face until Tabitha was sure it would be completely permanent for the rest of her life. Apparently, having your heart racing and your temperature rising and your mind swimming could take quite a toll on your body, as was evidenced by the night Tabitha fell asleep before dinner.

"Tabitha, it's time for din - " Henry stopped as he climbed into the crows nest and found Tabitha asleep against the side. "Well, some watchman you are," he chuckled. "Wake up, love."

"Mmm..." she sighed and rolled over, her eyes flickering open. "What is it? Henry?"

"You were supposed to be helping Silver prepare dinner half an hour ago," he smiled.

"Tell him I'm asleep," she mumbled as she rolled over.

Henry laughed. "I think you'll have to come up with a better excuse than that to get out of your duties."

"No..." she yawned. "He'll understand."

He sighed. "Alright... Here - " He shrugged off his coat and wrapped it around her. "It may get kind of chilly." He quickly kissed her cheek. "Enjoy your nap, love."

"Why do you always call me that?" she asked, managing to open her eyes long enough to hear his answer.

For once, he looked slightly caught off guard, but then he gave her a small smile. "Why do you think?"

Tabitha blinked in surprise, then laughed lightly and rolled over to go back to sleep.

* * *

"Where is that lass?" Silver questioned angrily as he attempted to simultaneously cook and serve on opposite sides of the kitchen. "Tabby!"

"I'm afraid you're out of luck, Silver," Henry chuckled as he entered the galley.

"And why is that?" he asked gruffly.

"Seems Miss Tabitha is too tired to complete her work this evening. I just found her asleep in the crow's nest."

Silver smiled slightly despite himself, but that quickly turned back into a frown when Henry walked over and began to help him ladle soup into bowls.

"I'm helping," Henry answered his questioning look.

Silver nodded slightly as the sound of thundering footsteps and raucous laughter echoed through the galley. The crew took their seats around the tables and continued their conversations.

"Henry! What in hell are you doing, man?" one of them shouted at the sight of Henry delivering bowls to the crew.

"I'm providing a helping hand for our cook," he answered simply.

"What happened to the gal?" another inquired.

"She was too tired and ended up falling asleep."

At this, several of Henry's closest friends snickered.

"What?" Henry smirked.

"Well she's been spending all her time with you..." one of them hinted.

"What have the two of you been doing that's got her so worn out?" another laughed.

Silver's ears perked up at the question - it was an answer he wanted too.

Henry shook his head and chuckled. "Absolutely nothing."

"So your plan isn't working out as well as you'd hoped?"

Plan? It was all Silver could do to remain discrete in his eavesdropping. This plan didn't sound like something that needed to happen...

"Patience, lads," Henry grinned. "Plans like this take time. You can't be too over eager."

"I don't know how you couldn't be over eager. We've been trapped on this damned ship for months, and she's the only gal here."

Silver's fists clenched tightly. It was just as he'd expected.

"Even so," Henry laughed. "You can't just force the girl into anything. She isn't some spaceport floozy. The more time and effort you put into it, the more worth it it is in the end."

"Oh, is it?" one of the other men smirked.

"Trust me. I know what I'm talking about."

The men laughed and hooted in a way that meant only one thing. Silver had had enough. Slamming the ladle down onto the counter, he marched over and grabbed Henry by the shoulder.

"Come 'ere," he demanded, pulling him away from his comrades.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you, mate?" Henry shouted as Silver forced him onto deck.

"Now see 'ere, Henry. You an' I both know t'e lass likes ya - "

"Who? Tabby?" Henry questioned.

"O' course Tabby! Ya been leadin' t'e gal on for weeks now. I was jus' fine lettin' 'er enjoy t'e attention, but it looks t' me like yer after a bit more t'en that," Silver snapped.

"And so what if I am?" Henry sneered.

"I'm not gonna see 'er get hurt," he said darkly, backing Henry up to the mast. "Tabby's had a hard 'nough time without ya breakin' her heart as well."

"I am not interested in breaking her heart."

"I ain't daft, Henry! I know damn well what yer interested in, an' as long as I'm here, it ain't gonna happen."

Henry finally took on a demeanor as serious as Silver's. "Who are you to stop me?"

"I'm t'e closest t'ing she's got to a pap o' her own! I been watchin' out fer her t'ree years now, an' if ya t'ink I'm gonna step back and let ya take advantage o' her, ya got another t'ing comin'."

"Even if you are practically her father, it doesn't give you the right to interfere with this aspect of her life!" Henry argued. "She's old enough to make decisions like this on her own!"

Silver started. Old enough? Since when was thirteen old enough to understand what she'd be getting herself into? After a moment of contemplation over whether Henry was that daft or if there'd been some sort of misunderstanding, he finally realized what's going on."

Henry cleared his throat. "So I'd appreciate it if you'd step back and let Tabitha decide what she wants to do on her own - "

"How old do ya t'ink Tabby is?"

Henry blinked. "What?"

"How old do ya t'ink she is?" Silver repeated.

"Well, she's got to be at least... fifteen, but she acts so mature that I was beginning to she was older, closer to my own age."

Silver sighed. Well that explained it. Just like those men in the alley, Henry didn't even realize the girl he was going after was still a child.

"What?" Henry asked, recognizing that he'd made some kind of mistake.

"Thirteen." Henry looked at him questioningly, so Silver repeated himself. "Tabitha is thirteen."

For a moment, Silver thought that Henry might actually fall out. "Thirteen...? Are you sure?"

"I met her when she was ten, an' t'at was t'ree years ago," Silver chuckled. "Almost certain t'at adds up t'e thirteen, lad."

Henry shook his head in disbelief. "I'm... I'm so sorry. I never would have... Thirteen? I-I had no idea - "

"Ya aren't in any trouble now, lad," Silver told him. "But ya will be if ya don't back off now."

"No! No, of course. I will. I-I would never - "

Silver interrupted his stammering with a gentle push. "Off wit' ya. Go eat yer supper."

Trying to regain his composure, Henry stumbled dazedly back down to the galley.

* * *

Tabitha awoke the next morning still in the crows nest, Henry's coat still wrapped around her. She smiled to herself then, after quickly brushing her fingers through her hair, scrambled down to find Henry. It didn't take long to find him lounging in his hammock, apparently unable or unwilling to find any work to do.

"Good morning!" she said cheerfully.

Henry nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of her voice. "Oh, um, hello... Tabitha."

Tabitha stared at him for a second then shook her head. "Here. I brought your jacket back."

"Oh, um, right," he stammered as he stood up and took it from her.

"Um..." Tabitha began, unsure of why he was acting so put off. "So what are you - "

"I'm sorry, but... I-I have to go now."

Without waiting for Tabitha to respond, Henry had darted out of the crew's quarters as fast as he could. Tabitha was puzzled to say the least, but managed to shake it off mostly and decide to try to talk to him again later. That attempt failed as well. She'd simply asked if he'd liked to go out in a longboat with her, but he'd gasped and looked at her in such a panicked way that anyone would have thought she'd asked him to help her plan a murder. Without giving her a vocal answer, he'd literally run away from her, leaving Tabitha once again shocked and a bit hurt.

The rest of the day passed in similar encounters, with Henry always looking at her in... fear? Tabitha couldn't quite place her finger on whatever it was, but it wasn't something she expected out of the calm and collected Henry, especially not towards her.

"H-Henry!" she managed to call out at the end of dinner.

Henry froze on his way out of the galley and turned around slowly. "Yes?"

"Um..." She turned back to the dishes she was washing, trying to act as natural as she could, as if this didn't matter, as if she was only curious. "What's... been going on with you today? You've been kind of... jumpy, or something..."

"Wh-What do you mean?"

Tabitha gave up her calm facade and turned around to face him. "You know what I mean. You've been acting weird towards me all day. Yesterday you were calling me love and tucking me in to go to sleep, and now you can hardly look at me without freaking out."

Henry clenched his eyes shut and sighed regretfully. "Tabitha... I'm sorry. I-It's not your fault."

"Well then what is it? You're certainly acting like it's my fault."

"I... I can't..." he faced her and shook his head. "Tabitha, I don't like you the way you like me."

Simultaneously, Tabitha felt her breath catch, her stomach begin to church, and her eyes sting with tears she knew wouldn't come. "Wh-What?"

"I'm sorry for leading you on, but... I didn't realize... what I was doing," he explained.

"What do you mean you didn't realize?" she accused. "You were trying to make me fall for you! Any idiot could see that!"

"You - " He stopped the angry tone of his voice and lowered it. "You'll have to ask Silver."

Tabitha dropped the plate she was holding and it shattered on the floor. "What?"

"I-I don't know what to tell you. You'll have to speak with him."

She watched as he turned to leave, still playing back through the conversation in her head. Finally, she gritted her teeth together. "Okay, I will." Storming out of the galley, she instantly found Silver in his spot at the bow of the ship. "Silver!"

Silver turned and smiled at her. "Hey t'ere, Tabby! Ya got yer chores done early?"

She ignored this and marched up to him. "What did you tell Henry?"

Silver looked shocked for a second, then he sighed heavily. "Lass..."

"What did you say?" she shouted. "He can hardly even stand to look at me now!"

"I told him he needed to back off," Silver said sternly. "The two of ya never weren't gonna work - "

"Why? Why not? Just because I'm younger than him?"

"Tabby, there's more to it than that! Ya were after different things, and I wasn't going to see ya get yer heart broken because - "

"You didn't want me - Ugh! Silver, that isn't fair!"

"Fair?" He said, now towering over her. "Listen t' me, Tabby. I know ya liked 'im, and t'ere's not a t'ing wrong wit' the lad... Well, mostly, anyway."

"Get to the point!" she demanded.

"You were gonna end up hurt lass, and I didn't want to see that happen to ya. T'e only reason Henry wanted ya was - "

"Stop it!" she screamed, her chest seizing up now. "Just... leave me alone!" she managed to choke out as she rushed away from him down to her cot.

Tabitha tore the covers around her and waited, willing the tears to come, though she knew they wouldn't. They never did. She slammed her fists down against the mattress then fell over, flopping face first into the pillow and willing sleep to take her, if only so she wouldn't have to feel this pain in her chest anymore.

* * *

Tabitha wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep, but she guessed it must be pretty late as several other crew members were now in their hammocks. Her head was pounding, her eyes itchy, and her stomach either sick or hungry, she couldn't tell. Either way, she thought a glass of water was in order. She groaned and managed to pull herself out of bed and meander over to the galley.

"... happened exactly?"

"Yeah, Henry, I thought you'd have her any day now!"

Tabitha stopped. Her. There was only one 'her' on this ship, and she was it...

She heard the familiar sound of Henry's laughter. "So did I! That was my plan, after all."

"So what was the problem then, man?"

"That cyborg father of hers didn't scare ya away, did he?"

"You think after all that work I'd let that stop me? Nah," he laughed. "It'd take more than that."

"All that work? What work would t'is be?"

"Hey, it takes a lot to make a girl like that fall for you. She's level headed. It takes more than a few compliments and flirtatious statements to lure her in. No, this was a job. It took time and effort to convince her that I actually care for her."

"But ya did convince her!"

"Convince her?" one of the other men scoffed. "He did much more than that. The gal was practically falling at his feet. I don't know why you waited as long as you did to try to get her in your bed."

Tabitha gasped quietly from outside the galley door.

"Oh, I'd have had her alright, if it weren't for the small fact I learned about her..." Henry led them on.

"Small fact?"

"What was it, lad?"

Henry paused for dramatic effect. "Tabitha," he took a sip from his mug. "Is thirteen."

The outcry that went up was unbelievable. Some whistled, some gasped, some laughed. The comments were what really shocked Tabitha, though:

"Thirteen? Well, ain't she a looker fer her age?"

"Don't know why you let that stop you, mate! Age is nothing but a number!"

"I second that! After all that waiting, I don't know how you managed not to jump her bones!"

Henry laughed, albeit a little uncomfortably. "Lads, calm down. She's just some girl."

For some reason, that statement hit her the hardest of all. She bit her lips, feeling her chest began to spasm in fake sobs again.

"HEY!"

Tabitha was so startled by the voice that she stumbled back into the ajar door and fell to her back. The crew that was in the galley all stood up from their places and looked at her. The crew member that had caught her eavesdropping entered the room and looked down at her as well.

"Tabitha!" Henry gasped.

The silence that followed felt actually painful to Tabitha. She stared up at the men in the room as they stared down at her. She was sure her face must have been bright red and she couldn't figure out what to do. She glanced around in panic, her sights finally falling on Henry as another wave of emotions hit her.

She tried to say something, anything, but nothing happened. When she could take the pain no more, she scrambled to her feet, pushed her way past the crew member at the door, and ran.

* * *

Silver had been heading to bed at the end of his watch when Tabitha suddenly came rushing out of the galley, looking nothing short of humiliated. He watched her rush up to the crows nest to be alone.

"Tabitha, wait!"

Silver turned again to see Henry running after her. He stopped at the top of the stairs when he realized she was already up in the nest. He sighed.

"What in blue blazes did ya do t' her?" Silver accused.

"Nothing! I swear!" Henry said, holding his hands up in surrender. After a moment though, he glared right back. "Why didn't you talk to her?"

"What?"

"I sent her to you! I didn't know what to tell her, so I thought you would explain it!"

"I tried to, but she got upset!"

Henry winced. "So she had no idea that I wanted to..."

"No," Silver interrupted.

"I..." Henry sighed. "I really didn't mean for her to get hurt."

Silver scoffed. "I'm not so sure about t'at, but t'e point is t'at she is now."

The men stared at each other for a minute, silently fighting for who should be the one to talk to her.

"She hates me," Henry finally spoke up.

"Well t'e two of us aren't on t'e best of terms at t'e moment now either."

"But you're still practically her father. If anyone can help her, it's you."

Silver glared at him, then sighed. "Alright. I'll talk t' her. But ya best start workin' on yer apology t' her. We get back to port t'morrow, an' I want ya t' fix t'ings before t'en."

Henry nodded. "Yes. Of course."

* * *

Tabitha hugged her arms tightly to herself as she stared out at the stars. She was much too scared to look at Meddyliau, afraid the planet might simply explode if she cast that many feelings onto it. Instead, she focused on one particular star. It seemed a shade dimmer than all the others. She just stared at it, willing her body to calm down. A few minutes of failing miserably at this, she heard the clicking and whirling of gears and then a grunt as Silver pulled himself into the crow's nest with her.

"Really wish ya'd find somewhere else t' hide out when yer upset," he chuckled. "T'ain't easy gettin' up here wit' t'is hunk o' hardware."

"Did you ever think that maybe I come up here because I don't _want_ you to follow me?" she snapped.

Silver sighed and leaned against the wooden enclosure beside her. "So... what 'xactly did ya hear?"

Tabitha gulped and turned her attention way from the star to look at the wood grain of the wall. "More than I would have ever wanted to... You were right, Silver," she whispered. "We wanted... different things."

Silver opened his mouth to begin his 'I-told-you-so' speech, but stopped himself when he began to observe how shaken up she looked. "Tabby... are ya cryin'?"

Tabitha shook her head, but her body still wracked with dry sobs. Her chest was heaving, her face bright red, her eyes clenched tightly shut. Silver really didn't have much experience with this whole 'comforting' thing, but he couldn't just let watch her fall apart. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, and she took care of the rest. In an instant, she'd turned and latched onto him, desperately clenching onto his coat, her face pressed against his stomach.

"He just wanted me for sex," she choked. "He was just using me. That's all. He never liked me."

"T'at's not true now, lass," he told her. "He must 'ave cared 'bout ya some or he would've gone t'rough wit' his plan."

"He only stopped because he found out how old I was! He was just like the men in the alley that you saved me from..."

"Oh, is t'at what ya t'ink?" Tabitha nodded and Silver wrapped his arms around her. "T'at ain't all true. Henry wasn't gonna force ya to do anyt'ing ya didn't want t' do. He was simply tryin' t' lure you in. T'ose men I saved ya from wouldn't 'ave cared if you'd been hurt or if you'd begged t'em to stop." He pushed her back slightly so he could see her face. "Henry does like ya, lass."

Tabitha shook her head. "No, he doesn't. He told me he didn't like me the same way - "

"An' t'at may be true," Silver interrupted. "Henry may have been after somethin' more... mature t'en you, but he does care about yer feelings. He was worried about ya. He sent me up here to make sure ya were okay."

"He did?" she asked hopefully.

Silver nodded. "I'm not gonna say what Henry did was alright, but he's not t'e first t' do it, an' he won't be t'e last, but he will be one of t'e few t'at takes yer feelings into consideration."

Tabitha thought this through for a second, then, with a small smile, tightly embraced Silver. He started slightly, then chuckled and returned the hug.

"Now t'en," he said as he pulled away from her. "Why don't ya look at t'at planet and tell me what it is yer feelin'?"

Tabitha laughed lightly and pulled out her periscope to look at it. "Black. Big surprise."

"Tabby, it takes a lot fer that planet t' show up black. Ya gotta have too many t'ings on yer mind, and no lass yer age should be focused on t'at much."

"Yeah, well, that little encounter with Henry was pretty confusing. There's a hundred different colors that planet could be. Pink, red, purple, green - "

"Now wait a second, lass," he stopped her. "I got t'e first three - it makes sense fer ya t' be embarrassed or angry or confused - but green? What are ya so hopeful 'bout?"

Tabitha hesitated, then turned away shaking her head. "It's nothing."

Silver frowned. "Tabby..."

She bit her lip at the harsh tone of his voice, then sighed and opened up. "I'm hopeful that not all guys are like this." She looked back at Silver to see him standing there looking kind of baffled. "That a bit out of your league as far as comforting goes?" she teased.

Silver chuckled. "Not at all. Listen t' me, Tabitha: t'ere are plenty o' boys out t'ere t'at are jus' like t'ose men in t'e alley - only after one t'ing. T'en there are t'ose like Henry - interested, but they care about ya some as well. T'en there are t'e men t'at are gonna sweep ya off yer feet, treat ya wit' not'ing but kindness, never dream o' layin' a hand t' ya - T'at's t'e kind o' man yer gonna fall in love wit'."

"You seem so sure," she giggled.

"Well t'at's cause I am!" he laughed with her. "Ye'll meet 'im someday when ya least expect it."

"Mhmm," she agreed. "And he'll be riding a white horse and his surname will be Charming."

Silver laughed heartily. "I ain't writin' a fairytale fer ya, lass! I'm tryin' t' be serious. It's gonna happen one day. Ye'll meet a lad who's gonna make ya fall, but he'll be t'ere t' catch ya."

Tabitha smiled to herself. Without a prompt from Silver, she decided to look at the planet again. "It's just green now," she laughed. "You've turned me into a hopeless romantic in under five minutes!"

"Not'ing wrong wit' t'at," he winked at her.

She smiled and he started to leave, but she stopped him. "Why is it never gold?"

"What?"

"Meddyliau. It's never gold. I've seen every other color, but never gold..." she looked at him curiously. "Does it ever turn gold?"

"O' course it does. It turns every color yer mind can tink up, but gold is t'e most elusive," he explained.

"Why is that?"

"Well... T'at planet is only gonna turn gold when yer completely happy. When ya know yer right where yer s'pposed t' be, an' ya wouldn't change a t'ing."

"Wait, completely happy?" she questioned. "Isn't happiness relative? It's different to different people, so how would you know when you're completely happy?"

Silver smirked and shook his head. "Yer pretty bright fer yer age, lass. Yer right, it will be different, but ye'll know. Only problem is most people tend t' spend t'ere whole lives waitin' on t'e next t'ing, searchin' fer somethin' more t'en what t'ey have... T'ey don't know a good t'ing when t'ey got it..." Silver drifted off dazedly, but quickly snapped his attention back to Tabitha. "Complete happiness is hard enough t' find, but even harder t' keep."

"Have you ever seen it turn gold?"

Silver almost gave the truthful answer, but stopped himself; he wasn't in the mood to go down the path that story would lead to... "Nope. Never known anyone else who has eit'er."

"Guess I don't have much of a chance of seeing it then, do I?"

"I don't know, Tabby..." he smirked, rubbing his chin. "We'll wait 'till t'at Prince Charmin' o' yers turns up an' t'en we'll see."

* * *

"Tabitha!"

Tabitha turned around at the bottom of the plank from the ship to find Henry racing after her. "Oh. Hello, Henry."

"Tabitha, I..." Henry stopped when he noticed Silver standing with her. He took a chance and pulled her a short distance away, wishing for this apology to be a bit more truthful and not under the harsh gaze of her guardian.

"What is it?" she inquired.

"I want to apologize," he admitted as he took her hands in his. "I'm so sorry for what I did to you. It wasn't right for me to lead you on and sway your feelings in my favor to try to take advantage of you, regardless of your age. I never wanted to see you hurt. I-I just assumed that you knew what I was after, because i-if you'd been older, I'm sure you would have recognized it, but... I-I had no idea how young and naive you were or I never would have even thought about it. I'm so sorry you had to learn it through overhearing my conversation with the other crew mates. I should have told you the real reason personally. I know you must despise me, Tabitha, but please forgive me. I swear it was never my intention to see you come to harm of any kind."

Tabitha smiled. "Henry, it's really alright. I'm not going to say what you did was right, but things would have been different if I was older. You didn't know. It's okay. Thank you for being honest."

Henry managed to give her a half-smile. "I know it probably doesn't mean much now, but you aren't just some girl - You're an amazing girl, Tabitha. You're bright, and funny, and beautiful... and now you know I'm not just saying that to try to make you fall for me. I promise I'm being completely honest. Whatever man ends up with you is going to be the luckiest man in the Etherium."

Tabitha smirked. "You're feeding me lines again."

Henry laughed. "Alright, admittedly it's a bit cliche, but I mean it. Every word." He gently raised her hand and pressed a gently kiss to the back of it. "Goodbye, Miss Tabitha."

Tabitha watched him walk away. She stood there for a moment, looking a bit shocked but happy more than anything.

"Ya look a bit dopey wearin' a smile like t'at, lass," Silver interrupted her thoughts. "He didn't charm ya again now, did he?"

Tabitha laughed and shook her head. "No. He's leaving that job for someone else."

* * *

**Yeah, okay, the more I read this chapter, the less I like it. I pretty much just gave up on it though.  
**

**This always happens: As soon as I post it, I think of a million different, better ways I could have done it... Ugh. Le sigh. Whatever. I hope it's not too bad. You know, other than it being rushed and cliche and too... happy ending-y. (Yeah, I just made up that adjective. What of it? :P)**

**Anyway, at least it's a chapter, right?**

**There are probably more things I should say, but I'm tired and I don't know what they are so oh well.**

**I promise I'll do better on the next chapter, and hopefully post it sooner.**

**And remember, reviewers are made of awesome!**

**Thanks!**  
**-Emily**

**+Responses to Reviews+**

**Horseygirl 96: Thank you! Sorry about the wait for this one.**

**23jk: Thank you! I'm glad it made you forget about school. That's always good... Or usually, at least. :D**

**anon: Wow, another long review! I'm so glad you enjoyed it all! I like your ideas. I'll try to work them in somewhere. :) Thank you!**

**Tsukasa-kun****: I'm so glad you enjoyed the fluffiness! I know, I can't wait to have my own house! :D Oh my gosh, I've already written some of what happens after they have kids, and Jim totally has a line about how it's just 'the next big adventure' like you said. Haha I just thought that was interesting. Thank you!**

**malisa****: Of course you can feel the sparks! The story is called 'Sparks Fly' after all. :D Yep, Tabitha's not pregnant... yet. You'll see how it plays out soon enough. Just keep reading! ;) Thanks!**

**Blair Bear Tate Monster: Your comments always make me laugh! Probably because I sound exactly the same when I fangirl. :D I am honored that you are fangirling over my story!**

**NeverTooLate03: I'm so glad you're _still _fangirling over my story! That is still crazy to me. Oh yeah... I definitely need to write peoples reactions to Rylee and Cason having a kid... I'll do something along those lines. It sounds fun. :D Yeah, Tabitha and Jim did beat them at everything else... Well, actually, they may have tied in the whole making love thing... it was the same day, after all. I know! Jim bought a house! Well, of course I know, I wrote it, lol, but I still thought it was cool. You'll find out where the kiddies are soon enough! Damn it! Where the hell did that protoplasmic blob get to now? *goes off in search of Morph* Oh, and thank you, as always!**

**MistressTaco: Thank you! I love you and your reviews!**

**SweetAngel183: I know, right? Jim is just too cute. Don't worry! The kiddies will be here soon! :D Thank you!**

**FallenAngelx3: Thanks! Oh, wow! I'm so glad I inspired you! That's awesome!**

**chibimaker: Thank you so much! Ooh, that is an interesting idea... but I've actually already got the love interests of their kids planned out. I'm sorry! It was a really cute idea!**


	12. Sinfully Sweet

**ZOMG I FAIL SO HARD AT UPDATING!**

**Seriously! I am so sorry I'm making you guys wait so much. The problem is I have so many different ideas for different chapters, and I'm in such a hurry to get to the sequel, that every time I sit down to write, I feel like my brains going to explode! Gah!**

**On a plus side, I actually like this chapter, so I hope you guys do too! It's a very belated birthday gift for 23jk. I noticed it was her birthday on DeviantArt, and she's been reading my story since I posted Chapter 3 of "Fearless" - over a year ago! So, for her loyalty, and because she'd never actually made a request for a chapter, I volunteered to write one for her and she simply requested romance.**

**I'm sorry it's kind of short, but it's got all kinds of romance in it.**

**Enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

"Hey!"

Jim's eyes shot open at the shout. He looked around for a second and quickly realized transport vehicle they'd taken from the spaceport back home to Montressor was empty except for he and his sleeping wife... and the driver who had woken them up.

"You two planning on getting off anytime soon?" the frog-like man questioned Jim.

"Um, yeah. Sorry about that, George," he apologized as he sleepily rubbed his face.

The driver chuckled. "Don't worry about it. You and the Mrs. must be exhausted. I see you on here nearly every week it seems, always coming and going on one voyage or another. You two need to get some rest."

"Yeah, sounds like a plan," Jim agreed.

The bus driver smiled and returned to the front of the bus. Jim yawned as he sat upright, or tried to at least before realizing his arm was caught. Turning to his left, he smiled at the sight of Tabitha still sound asleep, his arm wrapped around her while her head rested on his shoulder. "Tabitha?"

Tabitha didn't make any sign that she'd heard her name other than to let out a small sigh.

"Hey..." Jim whispered as he gently shook her. "Tabitha, wake up..."

Tabitha groaned quietly as she blinked her eyes open and lifted her head.

"We're home," he explained.

"Oh," she said as she sat up and stretched. "Sorry..."

"No, it's okay. I fell asleep too," he explained as he stood up.

Tabitha grinned, stretching her arms above her head as she stood up. "Here, let me get a bag."

"I've got them," Jim assured her as he swung bag over his shoulder and held the other in one hand, holding out his other hand for Tabitha.

She smiled, took his hand, and together they made their way to the front of the bus.

"Good afternoon," the frog man said as the couple stepped off the bus. "See you two soon, I'm sure."

"Goodbye, George," Tabitha responded as the doors shut. "Where are you going?" she asked as she noticed Jim heading up to the inn.

He stopped and turned around. "I was just going to stop by and tell everyone we're back."

"Oh," Tabitha sighed. "Alright."

"Wait, wait," he stopped her. "Why don't you go ahead and go back to the house?"

"You sure?" she questioned.

"Yeah, you're tired. I can handle this."

"Then at least let me take the bags back so you don't have to carry them."

Jim started to argue, but quickly realized Tabitha wasn't going to let him be that chivalrous. He smiled and passed the bags over to her. "Love you," he said as he quickly kissed her.

"Love you, too. See you in a little while."

Jim yawned again as he trudged his way up to the Benbow. He could only think of one time when he was more tired than this - back on Lacuna, when Tabitha had been hurt and he'd ended up staying awake for three days straight - and this came in as a very close second. All this traveling, to planets with different time schedules and then back, was completely exhausting, and they'd been doing it almost nonstop for over six months. Jim had felt especially bad after this trip because Tabitha's birthday had fallen right in the middle of it. She insisted that she didn't mind, and he knew she didn't, but he still wished he could have done something nice for her...

"Hey t'ere, Jimbo!" Silver greeted as Jim entered through the kitchen door of the Benbow.

"Hey, Silver," Jim yawned.

"Jus' back from yer trip?" the cook asked as he dumped a variety of ingredients into a large pot on the stove.

"Yeah, I was just stopping by to tell you guys."

"How was it?"

"Same as always," Jim shrugged.

"Ya look worn out," Silver stated.

He sighed. "Tabitha and I have been doing the same thing for months now."

"O' course ya have! It's yer job," Silver laughed.

"Yeah, but... it's not exactly what we want," Jim explained. "We want... more exciting voyages. You know, explorations or something. Not necessarily something like the trips to Treasure Planet or Lacuna, but... something more interesting than just ferrying merchants and their products back and forth."

"Well, just keep lookin' lad. Somethin'll turn up."

Jim sighed heavily and hopped up onto the counter. "I need a vacation."

Silver laughed just as Jim's mom entered the room. "Jim!"

"Hey, mom," he greeted.

"How many times have I told you not to sit on the counter? That's where we prepare the food!" Sarah scolded.

"It's nice to see you too," he laughed as he hopped down and hugged her.

She hugged him back. "How was your trip?"

"Fine, but I'm exhausted. I just stopped by to tell you I was home."

"Well, I'm glad you made it home safely," she smiled. "Where's Tabitha?"

"Back at the house. She was tired, so I told her to go ahead of me," he shrugged.

Sarah grinned. "You really are a wonderful husband."

"Aw, mom..." Jim scratched the back of his neck bashfully as his mom headed back to the dining room. "Um... I'm going to head home now. See you later."

Silver chuckled. "Go on, now. Don't leave 'er waitin' up fer ya."

Jim scoffed amusedly. "Yeah, right. If I know Tabitha, she's already passed out in bed with everything but her shoes still on." He stopped halfway out the door as inspiration suddenly hit him. "Hey...Silver?"

"Aye, lad?"

Jim thought for a second, then smiled to himself. "Could you help me with something?"

* * *

Tabitha hovered in a half-awake, half-asleep stage for several minutes before her stomach growling finally forced her to wake up. She groaned and rolled over, trying to tell her stomach to hush and wait for breakfast, when the smell of some kind of food hit her nose. Her taste buds began to water and she opened her eyes. Glancing around, she realized it was nightfall and Jim was not in bed with her. She drowsily pushed herself to her feet and made her way to the kitchen, but it was empty. Her brow furrowed in confusion, and she headed into the living room, gasping in shock when she saw the scene laid out before her.

Jim glanced up at the sound and grinned. "Hey, I was just about to come get you."

"Jim... what...?" she stammered as she surveyed the living room. The table had been pushed away from the center of the room and replaced with a blanket on the floor. Several dishes of food were laid out on it - everything from the salads to desert. "What's the occasion?"

"Um, well... " He stammered. "I-I was just thinking about how you didn't get to have a real birthday this year because we were on a voyage - "

"I had a real birthday," she interrupted. "It was wonderful, really."

"Yeah, okay, well... I-I didn't get to do anything special for your birthday because of the voyage, so I was going to do it now, and I thought it might be nice to re-create our first date, but since you don't like the cold, I decided to do it inside..." He laughed and scratched the back of his neck, suddenly sounding very stupid to himself. "So basically, we'll be eating dinner on the floor tonight... Happy birthday."

Tabitha laughed when she saw how unsure he now looked about his gift. "Jim," she began as she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. "This is amazing."

"Really?" Jim asked hopefully as he returned the embrace. She nodded. "Good. I'm glad you like it."

"Did you make all this food?" she gasped.

He scoffed. "No, I got it from Silver of course."

They laughed together as they sat down around the blanket and began to enjoy their meal. They were relaxed, more relaxed than they had been in a while, as they talked and joked. It seemed like no matter how long they knew each other, they could always find things to talk about. Somehow or another, they eventually ended up on the couch, Tabitha in Jim's lap, her back leaned against the arm of the couch.

"Thank you," Tabitha smiled as the meal finally came to an end. She leaned over and kissed him. "This was... amazing."

"You're welcome," he grinned as he leaned over and kissed her again. He wrapped a hand around her neck and held her to him, letting the fingers of his other hand gently skim across her back.

Tabitha laughed against his lips. "If I didn't know any better, by that kiss I'd think you were expecting something in return for that lovely dinner."

"No, of course not," he smirked. "I'm simply... giving you another part of your birthday present."

"Oh, really?"

Jim smirked and pushed her up. She looked confused for a second before he laid down and gently tugged on her hand. She smiled and rejoined him on the couch. As she looked down into his eyes, she suddenly noticed something.

"You look very tired," she stated.

He laughed. "You know, I didn't nap for three hours after we got back like you did."

She smiled and pushed his bangs back. "Let's just go to sleep." Jim started to object, but she stopped him. "I'm tired, too, believe it or not. Besides, we just got finished with the last voyage we had planned. We've got plenty of time to be together."

Jim smiled and pulled her down into another kiss. Tabitha started to stand up, but he tightened his grip around her waist. "Um, Jim? Bed?"

"No..." he sighed, closing his eyes and smiling. "Just stay here."

"Are you sure this is comfortable for you?" she asked as she tentatively lay back down.

"I get to be close to you, I'm comfortable," he yawned.

Tabitha laughed quietly as she pulled the blanket they kept strewn on the back of the couch over them. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," he sighed, wrapping his arms around her to hold her to him. "I love you."

"I love you, too..."

* * *

Tabitha awoke first in the morning. The blanket had slipped off them, but their combined body heat was keeping her warm. Glancing at the clock - eight in the morning - she decided she felt well rested enough to get up.

Tabitha gently eased off of Jim and stood up. She picked up the blanket and draped it over him, leaning down to kiss him. Then she quickly gathered up the leftover dishes from the night before and made her way to the kitchen. As she washed the dishes, an idea slowly began to develop in her head... An idea that was squashed when she realized that they'd been home so little (and neither of them cooked much here) that they had practically no groceries, but was quickly restarted as she decided to go borrow some from Sarah.

Tabitha left the home, but only had to walk to the end of the sidewalk before she ran into a familiar face. "Hello, B.E.N."

"Hey there, Tabby!" he said as animatedly as ever. Morph suddenly appeared as well and zipped over and began licking Tabitha's face.

"Hey, Morph," she giggled.

"Where's Jimmy?" B.E.N. asked.

"Still asleep," she answered.

"Well tell him his old pal B.E.N. says hello! I'm sorry I can't stay. I've been sent on an errand to fetch some groceries and - "

"Oh! Would you mind picking up a few things for me as well?" Tabitha pleaded.

* * *

Jim was awoken mid-morning by sounds coming from the kitchen. A quick glance around the living room told him it was probably Tabitha cleaning up from the night before. However, when he walked into the kitchen, he realized he was wrong.

Tabitha was standing at the counter, a large bowl in one arm as she stirred its contents with a spoon. What Jim assumed was a cookbook lay open on the counter and she surveyed it with a confused look in her eyes. Her general appearance was what really amused him though. Over her typical clothes she wore a white apron, but her clothing still had patches of dusty flour on it. Her face was red and her bangs were plastered to her forehead with sweat from the heat of the oven. As he stood watching her, he snorted in a failed attempt to hold back a laugh.

Tabitha looked up at him. "What?" she asked, as if him catching her like this was the most ordinary thing in the world.

"What are you doing?" he chuckled.

"I'm making brownies."

"Why?"

"Well, I was going to make you breakfast, since you made me dinner last night, but we didn't have much food or anything, so I went to ask your mom if I could borrow some things, but I bumped into B.E.N. on his way to buy some things and I gave him a list... but I got tired of waiting and I wasn't even sure he'd remember, so... I made brownies instead!" she explained. "It was supposed to be a surprise, though."

"I am surprised," he smiled. "I'm not sure I've ever seen you bake anything willingly and without any help."

Tabitha rolled her eyes and lifted the spoon to her lips. "Mmm... It's pretty good. You want to try it?"

Jim glanced at the spoon she was offering to him, then back at her. Noticing the spoon had left a remnant of the batter on her upper lip, he smirked and pulled her into a kiss. "Mmm," he sighed when he pulled back. "Delicious."

A light blush dusted her cheeks as she started to turn back around, but Jim stopped her.

"No, wait," he stated, putting a hand on her cheek and turning her head back to face him. "You've got a little something - "

"What? Where?" she asked curiously, wiping her hand across her mouth.

"I'll get it," Jim volunteered as he leaned down to kiss her again. Tabitha laughed against his lips, smiling wider each time she tried to move away and he pulled her back. She threaded her fingers into his dark hair and he moaned quietly and pushed her back, pinning her between his body and the counter. When his lips moved down to her neck, Tabitha slumped, letting her hands fall to her sides.

"Jim, I am one hundred percent sure that there is no chocolate on my neck," she stated.

"Okay, then - " Jim, not one to be deterred so easily, dipped a finger into the batter and skimmed it across her neck before letting his mouth trail along the same path.

"Jim!" she laughed, trying to push him back. "Just let me put it in the oven, and then we can go right back to this."

"Hmm, no," he decided with no thought whatsoever to the proposal.

Tabitha rolled her eyes and hit Jim's cheek lightly with the spoon.

"Hey!" he cried out as he finally released her and wiped at his face. He smirked and quickly grabbed the spoon from her, dipped it back into the batter, and flung chocolate at her.

"You're going to pay for that," she stated as she wiped chocolate off the front of her shirt.

"Oh, am I?" he taunted, crossing his arms.

They glared at each other for a minute, then, at almost exactly the same second, they both lunged for the bowl, each trying to jerk it from the others grasp. When she was unsuccessful, she threw another glob of the batter at him, hitting him in the shoulder. He returned fire, and in an instant, there was an all out war. Amidst their fits of laughter, they tried to simultaneously dodge the oncoming dessert bombs while still trying to splatter each other as well. When Tabitha aimed for Jim's face, he cleverly opened one of the cabinet doors to shield himself. When he threw a handful at her, she ducked and let it hit the wall instead. Finally, Jim managed to actually get her, but as it splattered across her face, she held up her hand to stop him.

"Jim, wait, stop," she whined.

"What is it?" he questioned worriedly.

She used her fingers to rub at her eyes. "I have chocolate in my eye."

Failing to hold back a snicker, he wiped his hand on his pants and approached her.

"It's not funny!" she complained. "It hurts."

"Okay, okay," he began, all seriousness as he lifted her face up and grabbed a rag towel from the counter to wipe at her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay - " Tabitha sucked in a breath through her teeth. "Ow! It really hurts." Tabitha blinked a few times, then slowly opened her eyes and managed to keep them open.

"You okay?" he questioned. When she nodded, he smiled. "I guess what my mom always said was right: It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt."

"Yeah... Then it's hilarious."

Before Jim had time to question this add on, he suddenly found himself drenched in the batter as the bowl was poured over his head from behind. As Tabitha's arms retracted and she placed the bowl on the counter, she fell into another fit of hysterical laughter, and he realized she'd gotten him.

"You sneaky little..." He laughed as he brushed the wet mix away so he could open his eyes again. "You tricked me."

"I might have..."

Jim narrowed his eyes in a playful glare, then quickly jerked the bowl from the grasp and placed it on the counter and pulled her tightly to him.

"Jim! You're getting me covered in chocolate!" she squealed.

"Serves you right!" he laughed.

Suddenly, she stopped squirming in his grasp and met his gaze for only a moment before his lips hungrily met hers and his hands lifted her onto the counter. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands ran along her thighs, her hips, up her sides to her waist... His lips moved away from hers and devoured their way down her neck, his lust only accelerated the taste of the sinfully sweet desert.

"This really isn't how I thought this would go," Tabitha suddenly said.

Jim pulled away, slightly disappointed. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not complaining. I just thought thought that I'd make brownies, instead I got... this." They both laughed lightly. "But I guess I'm not completely surprised."

"Oh, really?" Jim asked skeptically.

"Well, chocolate's an aphrodisiac."

He raised an eyebrow. "I thought that was just a myth."

She reached out and ran her index finger along the inside of the mostly empty bowl before swirling the chocolate covered digit in her mouth seductively. "You tell me," she said coyly.

Jim's entire body tensed. His eyes lustfully skimmed over Tabitha's body, then, in an instant, he had lifted her off the counter and was carrying her to their bedroom.

She squeaked and wrapped her legs around his hips to hold on. "What are you doing?"

"Well, seeing as we're both covered in chocolate," he said as he made his way through their bedroom to their bathroom. "I thought we should probably take a shower."

Jim started the water, then quickly stepped in without waiting for it to warm up.

"Jim, our clothes!" Tabitha exclaimed.

"What? They need to be washed, too. It's not going to hurt," he smirked.

Tabitha's legs were still wrapped around Jim's lower waist as he roughly pinned her against the tile wall, her body trapped between the ice cold wall and his heated body. The water was a bit chilly at first, but neither of them seemed to be even remotely aware of this, and after just a moment, hot water was suddenly beating down on both of them, steaming up the room. Tabitha suddenly realized she was panting hard, as was Jim, and his gaze was absolutely nothing but pure lust.

Stars, she loved these random moments of passion that came between them every so often. They were always amazing, always heart-stoppingly impassioned. Tabitha flung her arms around Jim's neck and pulled him to her. He gasped and released her legs to brace his hands against the wall. In a state of near frenzy, she put her feet on the ground and suddenly pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it out of the shower. He quickly did the same to her, groaning as her fingers rushed through his hair and down his chest to his belt.

Tabitha moaned as Jim suddenly pinned her against the wall again. He leaned forward and began to whisper into her ear as she bit her lip and closed her eyes, tightening her grasp on his shoulders...

* * *

"Hel-lo?" B.E.N. called as he knocked on the door for the hundredth time.

Morph squeaked confusedly.

"I don't know, little buddy. Tabitha asked me to bring the groceries back by here," B.E.N. said, scratching the top of his metallic head.

Morph chirped and turned into an image of Tabitha and Jim asleep together.

"Oh... Maybe you're right. Maybe they're asleep," the robot nodded. "She said Jimmy was asleep... I bet she just joined him."

Morph shrugged.

B.E.N. lowered his voice to a whisper. "Let's go now so we don't wake them up."

Morph nodded, and the two innocents quickly began their trek back up to the Benbow.

* * *

A while later, Tabitha and Jim collapsed into their bed, still panting heavily.

"It's really... a shame..." Tabitha began, still breathing heavily. "That we can't do that... on voyages... because of the crew."

Jim gasped and shook his head. "No, It's really a shame... that you don't... cook more often."

They rolled onto their sides to face each other and burst into a fit of laughter. She grinned as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer.

"You know, that was the last voyage we had planned," he whispered. "We won't have to worry about a crew for a while."

Tabitha smirked. "And I'll have plenty of time to cook more often, especially now that - Oh, no! B.E.N.!"

"What?"

"B.E.N.!" she explained as she started to leave the bed. "I told him to bring the groceries back. He probably stopped by while we were - "

She stopped when Jim suddenly grabbed her hand, staring at her with an almost unreadable expression.

"What?"

He smirked and pulled her back into the bed.

"But, Jim, what if - "

Jim rolled over so he was on top of her and kissed her. "We'll figure it out later."

Tabitha met his gaze and laughed, wondering how the thought of groceries could even have distracted her from a moment of this.

"You know, I think you planned this," he teased between kisses.

"What?" she asked, feigning offense.

"Chocolate's an aphrodisiac," he repeated skeptically, raising his eyebrows.

Her jaw dropped. "You think I decided to bake brownies just so something like that would happen?" Jim shrugged, and she smirked. "And what if I did?"

Jim grinned and leaned down, his lips just centimeters away from hers. "Then just promise me you'll do it again."

* * *

**So there you go. I think thats pretty much any and every kind of romance you could want.**

**I'll really try to be quicker with updates! I just need to get organized. (_Yeah like that's gonna happen.)_ Shut up, inner monologue! It could. You don't know! Also, be expecting an authors note sometime in the next few days. I have a lot of things I want to talk to/ask you guys about, but I can't remember all of it and I'm lazy, so just check back later! :D**

**Oh! One more thing! Everyone should come follow me on Twitter! My account is writemily and it's specifically for updates on my writing (fanfiction and what I hope will be upcoming books)! You can also feel free to message me on there with comments, requests, questions, anything!**

**Thanks everyone! Reviews are ever so welcome!**

**- Emily**

**+ Responses to Reviews +**

**Icecreampopstar - I already sent you a message, but I don't remember everything I said, so sorry if I'm repeating myself: Wow, thanks! I'm so glad I inspired you and that you enjoy my story so much! It's always awesome to get new readers! I'm still considering posting that idea, so just keep reading and you might see it! :)**

**malisa: Haha I know what you mean about Henry. I wrote him and I couldn't even figure out if I liked him. But no, he is certainly not Jim. :D I'm really glad you liked it, and that it made Tabitha seem more realistic.**

**anon: Thank you for you reviews! They are always appreciated!**

**23jk: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it, and I hope you enjoyed this one as well. Sorry it's so late. I've been working on this chapter so much and I literally wrote it like 15 different ways before I decided on this one, so I hope it's good!**

**NeverTooLate03: Haha Thanks! I will definitely come to you if I need someone to proofread! As always, I appreciate the fangirling! I will never get used to that! And Morph was in this chapter! Finally! lol Ooh! And I really want to write that chapter where Henry comes back. It sounds pretty intense. We'll see! Sorry, I know I originally said that this chapter would be yours, but then I found out about her birthday and had to rearrange some things. I'm also sorry I failed so hard at completely missing your update! As a fellow fangirl, I'll try harder! :D**

**Horseygirl 96: Thank you so much! I'm really glad that chapter came out better than I thought, judging by the reviews. As always, thanks for the review! :)**

**MistressTaco: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! No worries on the review - I understand how school can just completely fry your brain.**

**S.A.M. Fonceca: Thanks! You're not the only person who requested seeing Henry again, so I may have to write that. It would definitely be interesting.**

**EventHorizon6: Aw, thank you! I'm so glad you liked it! I'm excited about Smokey Black Nights, too! I can't wait to write it! :D**

**SweetAngel183: Whew! Finally got around to updating. Hope you liked it! And thanks for the review!**

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	13. Today Was A Fairytale & An Authors Note

**Whoo! A chapter!**

**The title really doesn't have a lot to do with the chapter, but it kind of does. Plus the song (by Taylor Swift) fits Jim and Tabitha's relationship really well, in some ways.**

**As always, I apologize for the wait. This was originally going to be a Halloween chapter, but:**

**1. I didn't think of it until Friday night, so I didn't have time to write the whole thing before Halloween.**

**2. I couldn't think of a good way to make an original Halloween-y chapter, so I did this instead. :D**

**So this takes place on Halloween weekend of their last year at the academy.**

**Enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

"You have to trust me."

Tabitha looked up from the book she'd been reading to see Rylee attempting to stumble through the door with a garment bag in one hand and a shopping bag in the other. "What the - ?"

"Okay," Rylee sighed as she finally got in and managed to shut the door. "Please don't get angry with me..."

That should have been Tabitha's clue. Rylee had just returned from picking out Tabitha's costume for the Halloween Masquerade Ball the academy had every year. Tabitha had initially declined her invitation, but Rylee had finally managed to talk her into it, after promising that she would pick out the costume... but Tabitha was now seriously regretting that decision.

"What in the stars did you pick out for me?" she asked apprehensively.

Rylee grinned, took a deep breath, then unzipped the garment bag. "Ta-da!"

Tabitha raised an eyebrow. "That looks remarkably like a ball gown to me."

"That's because it is!"

Tabitha frowned. "Absolutely not. No way. No, no, no."

"Tabitha!" Rylee whined. "You have to! Please? You'll look gorgeous!"

"I don't care. I _do not_ wear ball gowns. You know that! What in the stars ever made you think I would?"

"But you have to! I already gave Jim his costume, and - "

"Wait, what?" Tabitha stopped her. "You picked out Jim's costume too?"

"Uh, yeah," Rylee said impatiently. "You're a couple. Your costumes have to match."

Tabitha sighed and rolled her eyes. "So what are we? A prince and a princess?"

"Exactly!"

Tabitha's jaw dropped as her friend pulled the dress off the hanger and tossed it to her. "I was joking!"

"Well I'm not. You're a princess. Jim is your prince." Tabitha still didn't look convinced, so she added. "Jim already bought the tickets."

Tabitha groaned. "You are making this up to me somehow, or I will never speak to you again."

Rylee squealed and clapped her hands together eagerly.

* * *

Tabitha might have protested more if she'd known that her costume not only consisted of the poofy white gown, but also of a pair of elbow length gloves, jewelry, and even a damned tiara. Rylee also made an attempt to fix Tabitha's hair and makeup, but she adamantly refused. The rest was more than enough.

Rylee was, apparently, going as a pirate. She'd tried to argue that Tabitha wearing a dress was fair because Tabitha had had to pick out most of Rylee's outfit for her, since she had considerable more know-how about pirates, but Tabitha wasn't buying it. However, she eventually sucked it up and accepted that she was going to be a princess. People were going to look at her oddly because she was in a dress, and she was sure she'd have to listen to a few dozen compliments about how 'cute' she and Jim were as a couple... but at the end of the night, she could change back into her own comfortable clothes and it would all be over with.

As Rylee and Tabitha made their way downstairs, Rylee kept grinning at Tabitha, then shaking her head.

"What on Montressor are you looking at me like that for?" Tabitha finally enquired.

"I'm sorry, you just look so beautiful," she gasped. "You look like a bride."

Tabitha would have rolled her eyes, but she was keeping her gaze focused on the ground and the hem of her dress so she didn't fall. "I thought I was supposed to look like a princess."

"Oh, that too," Rylee laughed. "Jim's going to fall out when he sees you."

"Rylee!"

The girls looked up to see Cason waiting at the bottom of the stairs in the lobby of their dorm. Tabitha couldn't help but notice what he was wearing...

"Why is Cason dressed like a pirate, too?" she smirked.

Rylee blushed. "H-How should I know?"

"You said that couples' costumes have to match..." she hinted.

Rylee turned on her friend, her face scarlet red by now. She glared at her and elbowed her directly in the stomach, which in turn knocked her off balance and sent her falling to the ground.

"Tabitha!" Cason shouted as he rushed up to the girls. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Tabitha laughed, at herself and the fact that Rylee was still blushing. "I'm used to it by now."

Cason chuckled and helped her up. "You two look great," he stated, though he kept his eyes focused on Rylee for the compliment.

"Where's Jim?" Rylee asked.

"I don't know. I guess he's - "

"Not coming."

The three turned around to see Graham just entering the dorm.

"Not coming?" Rylee repeated. "What do you mean?"

Graham sighed and looked at Tabitha. "Jim's sick."

Tabitha's eyes widened as she descended the last couple of steps. "Oh... Well is he alright? Sick how?"

"Yeah, he's fine, I guess. It's just a cold or something. He asked me to take you instead, but he sent me over to here to see if you even wanted to go first. Something about not liking your costume..."

She smiled at how well Jim knew her, then shook her head. "No, I don't want to go. Especially if Jim's not going. Besides, I'm a doctor, maybe I can take care of him."

Cason laughed quietly from somewhere behind her. "Right. Take care of him."

Tabitha glared at him, then slugged him in the arm. "Just because I'm in a dress doesn't mean I can't kick your ass."

"Tabitha!" Rylee squealed while the two guys laughed. Tabitha just shrugged as if to ask, 'What?'.

"Come on," Graham nodded toward the door. "I'll walk you back to our dorm."

It wasn't a long walk, nor a dangerous one, but Graham refused to let Tabitha turn down his chivalry. So while Cason and Rylee headed to the ball, Graham escorted Tabitha back to his dorm.

About halfway there, Tabitha smacked her hand across her forehead. "I don't know why I didn't change out of this damn thing. If I'm not going, I don't have much reason to be dressed as a princess."

Graham laughed. "It'll be worth it just to see Jim's facial expression."

"That's what Rylee said too," she said thoughtfully.

"Because you're apparently the only person who doesn't see how he looks at you," he teased. "Stars, I've never seen a guy so infatuated with someone. It's disgusting."

Tabitha pretended to be offended. "Oh, what, just because you've decided you're never going to fall in love?"

"Tabitha, he's the _reason_ I'm never going to fall in love," he explained. "I've sworn I will never look even half as stupid as Jim does when he's gawking at you."

Tabitha rolled her eyes as they reached the building. "Goodnight, Graham. And thank you."

"No problem. Hey, if you get a chance, take a picture of Jim's expression when he sees you."

Tabitha laughed as he started to walk away, but she stopped him. "Hey, wait! Where are you going?"

"To the ball, of course."

"In that?" she inquired, nodding towards his uniform.

"Yeah. I don't do the dressing up thing."

"Neither do I, but - " Tabitha laughed as she gestured towards her dress. "You could borrow Jim's costume. You two are about the same size, so - "

"No way," he laughed, holding up his hands to stop her. "I will not be playing the part of Prince Charming this evening. Besides, if you go in a costume and you don't have a date, then you run the risk of running into someone with a similar costume, and then everyone thinks you're a couple... Speaking of which, what was up with Cason and Rylee wearing - ?"

"I have no idea. I plan on questioning her A.S.A.P."

Graham laughed. "Well... Goodnight, princess."

Tabitha glared at him, but a smile tugged at her lips. "'Night, Graham."

Now that she was indoors, Tabitha paused to take off the shoes she'd borrowed from Rylee before making her way through the dormitory - across the lobby, up to the third floor, and down to room seventeen. She knocked and had just enough time to wonder if Graham and Rylee's predictions on what Jim's reaction would be were accurate before there was an answer.

"Come in," a congested voice answered.

Tabitha slowly swung open the door and entered the room. Jim was rifling through the box of 'just in case' medical supplies his mother had sent to the academy with him, but looked up when he sensed that it wasn't Graham who had just entered the room. He turned around and nearly stumbled backward in shock. His jaw dropped and his eyes bulged and his breath stuck in his throat.

Tabitha looked concerned. "Are you alright?"

Jim released a shuddering breath and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "Okay, maybe my fever's really high and I'm delusional... but you _are_ my girlfriend and you _are_ wearing a wedding dress... aren't you?"

She laughed. "It's a princess dress, actually, but yes."

He looked at her again and let out a breathy laugh. "Wow," he said in awe. "You look... wow. I mean..." He stopped and gulped, shaking his head as he tried to think of something to say. Instead, he ended up letting out a raucous cough.

"Are you alright?" Tabitha questioned as she walked over to him. Before he could answer though, she had her hand against his forehead to check his temperature. "Hmm, you're pretty warm, but I don't think it's too serious. Plus you're coughing and you're congested... sounds like a bad cold."

"Feels like a bad cold," he sniffed. "You should go. I don't want you to get sick too."

She scoffed. "Okay, one - I'm your girlfriend, and two - I'm a doctor... or at least I'm about to be. I'm staying here to take care of you."

"Oh, no - " he attempted to object. "Really, you don't have to - "

"I know I don't have to, but I'm going to," she smiled. "It's not like I have anything else to do."

"You should go to the ball."

"No way. Especially not without you. Get in bed."

Jim, too sick to argue, simply lay down and closed his eyes.

"Have you taken any medicine?"

"No. I was trying to figure out what to take when you showed up." A shiver raced across his skin, and he reached down to pull the covers up, but a hand on his stopped him.

"No, wait," Tabitha said as she took a seat on the edge of the bed. "Not yet."

As he opened his mouth to question her, her fingers reached for the buttons on his shirt and he looked at her confusedly. "Um... what are you doing?"

"I'm taking care of you," she stated simply as she pulled his shirt open and grabbed the jar she'd brought over with her off the bedside table.

"What's that?"

"Basically, it's a blend of herbs and a few other things that will help you be able to breathe," she explained as she scooped up the gel. "This is a homemade version, and it's not the best treatment, but I'm working with what we've got, and it should help."

Jim gasped as Tabitha smoothed the warm cream across his chest, then he relaxed and closed his eyes.

"Do you have any other symptoms?"

"I'm tired," he answered groggily. "And... Just sick. You know, weak, no appetite, achy muscles..."

Tabitha nodded. "Yep, bad cold. Here, take this."

She handed him a small cup filled with a thick orange liquid. Jim winced, then swallowed it all in one gulp and grimaced. "Ugh. What was that?"

"Poison," she said sarcastically. "It's medicine. What else? It'll probably make you pretty tired," she explained as she went back to rubbing the warm gel across his chest. "The only other thing I can think of is to put a wet washcloth on your forehead to bring down the temperature, or if you're up for it, taking a luke-warm shower would be better."

Jim chuckled and looked up at her. "If you don't quit rubbing this gel stuff on me, the only shower I'm going to need is a cold one."

Tabitha looked at him curiously, then froze, quickly pulled her hand back, and blushed. "I-I'm sorry. Maybe you should - "

In her embarrassment, she tried to stand up and make her way quickly back over to the box of medical supplies, but only ended up tripping over the hem of her dress and crashing to the floor.

Jim jolted upright in bed. "Are you alright?"

"Ow, yeah," she mumbled as she pushed herself up. "Yeah, I'm fine..."

Jim smirked as he watched her face brighten to a dark pink. She met his amused gaze and sighed. "There's a reason I don't wear dresses."

He started to laugh, but only ended up coughing again. "Do you want to change out of that?"

"More than anything," she groaned. "Will you be okay while I go back to my room and - "

"No, I don't want you walking across the grounds alone at night."

"Jim, it's safe, and it's not a long walk. I'll be fine."

Jim shook his head and climbed out of bed. "No, here, just borrow some of my stuff."

Tabitha started to object, but decided to just leave it alone. This was an easier solution, and she didn't feel like arguing it. Jim quickly ransacked his drawers for something she could borrow. "Um... everything's dirty except - Well, here's a shirt... and here's some... boxers?"

"Um... That's fine."

He tossed the clothes over to her and began to rub his neck. "Sorry I don't have any real clothes clean... I kind of need to catch up on the laundry."

"Yeah, you do," she teased as she glanced around at the amount of dirty clothes strewn about the room.

"Hey, some of that's Graham's!" he defended.

"Alright," she giggled. "Um... Where am I supposed to change?"

Being an all male dormitory, the only washroom facilities were for guys. Technically, Tabitha wasn't even supposed to be there right now, but as they'd learned early on in their freshman year, the dorm advisors didn't care what rules you broke... as long as you didn't get caught by someone higher up on the totem pole than them.

"Oh, um... I'll... turn around, I guess," he proposed warily.

Tabitha eyed him suspiciously. "Mhmm. You're going to stay turned around the whole time while your girlfriend changes clothes in the same room?"

"I - " He stopped, looked at her, then blushed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'll, um, just go get the washcloth."

Tabitha laughed as Jim left the room. With hardly a second of hesitation, she stripped off the ball gown and accessories, swearing she would never wear a costume like that again, before changing into the clothes Jim had loaned her. In seconds, she was back to feeling like herself... only in baggier clothes. No sooner had she pulled the shirt over her head, then Jim entered the room.

"Much better," he smiled at her.

"I thought you liked the dress," she questioned.

"I did. You looked beautiful in it," he began as he walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist. "But this is more you."

"I have to agree with you there," she laughed, her arms sliding their way up his now bare chest.

Jim suddenly reached a hand up to cover his mouth as he yawned. "You weren't kidding about that stuff making me tired. I feel like I could fall asleep now and sleep for days."

Tabitha frowned in mock-annoyance. "If you're about to fall asleep, then what was the point of me changing? I can't walk back to my dorm in this."

"I already told you, I don't want you walking back to your dorm in the middle of the night."

She blinked in uncertainty. "So then... what...?"

He smiled. "Stay with me?"

Tabitha tensed and avoided looking at him. "Oh, Jim, I, um... I-I'm not sure I..."

"Everyone's at the ball. No one will know. Even if Graham comes back, he won't mind if you're here or - "

"No, I'm not worried about getting caught," she laughed nervously. "I-I'm worried that... I mean... Wh-When you say 'stay', do you mean - ?"

"Oh, no, Tabitha," he chuckled. "No, no. I meant stay as in sleep with me - No, wait! I-I meant - " He rubbed his eyes and laughed under his breath. "Bad choice of words. I just meant... sleep in my bed... with me. Just sleep. And you said you wanted to take care of me..."

"Oh. So we're not going to - ?"

"No way." Tabitha looked slightly offended and he laughed again as he pulled her over to the bed. "Tabitha... I want that to be special. When that does happen, I'm going to do everything I can to make it the best night of your life."

Tabitha blushed. "When, not if?"

"Well... I hope so," he smirked as he stretched out in bed, pulling her down next to him.

Tabitha followed, but was a bit reluctant. "Jim..."

"Yeah?"

She rolled over on her side to face him. "About... that."

Jim's brow furrowed. "What is it?"

She sighed and turned her eyes away. "I-I'm not... ready for that. I know we've been dating a long time, a-and most people would have already, b-but... I-I don't - "

Jim kissed her, brushing her hair away from her face as he did. "Tabitha, have I ever pressured you to do something you don't want to do?"

"Oh, no! Jim, I didn't mean it like that!" she gasped. "I-I didn't think you were trying to pressure me, I was just letting you - "

He chuckled and kissed her again. "I know. I'm just trying to make a point."

"Oh, well... n-no, you haven't - "

"And I'm never going to," he stopped her. "Especially when neither of us are ready for it."

Tabitha blinked at him. "Y-You don't want to - ?"

He smiled and shook his head. She smiled back and reached out to brush his bangs away from his eyes.

"I shouldn't have kissed you," Jim suddenly said regretfully. "You're going to get sick."

Tabitha rolled her eyes. "I'm sleeping in the same bed with you. If I was going to get sick, I would have anyway. Besides, I don't care," she said as she kissed him. "I like it when you kiss me."

Jim started to kiss her again, but stopped. "I'm really too tired to do this right now."

She smiled and snuggled up against him. As she closed her eyes, he laughed again. "See? I wouldn't have been able to stay awake for anything else tonight."

Tabitha tensed, then sat up and smirked at him. "I'm pretty sure I could keep you awake..."

Jim closed his eyes and groaned as her hands slid down his chest. He narrowed his eyes at her. She squealed as he wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her back down to him. "Don't tempt me."

* * *

**Random fluff is random. Then again, you guys like this sort of thing, right? :P**

**Well, there you go! It's a chapter. I'm pretty satisfied with it. Now time for a brief authors note! Please read this, you guys! I need your opinions. :)**

**1. Okay, first thing I'm going to talk about is the requested chapters. You guys have made a LOT of requests, and I love them all! It's so amazing to see you guys wanting me to keep writing, and I'm completely flattered. I, of course, still plan to write them, but here's the thing: You guys have requested so many that it's taking much longer to get through 'Sparks Fly' than I thought it would. So here's what I was thinking: I'm ready to continue on to the sequel - 'Tell Me Why' - but there are a few key chapters that I need to get in before I can do that. These chapters include a few scenes that you guys requested, but mostly some preliminary things I need to get out of the way (namely Tabitha's pregnancy, but a few other things as well). How do you guys feel about me writing the chapters I need to lead up to the sequel, and then keeping 'Sparks Fly' as a work in progress? Meaning even after I've started 'Tell Me Why', I will continue to write chapters for 'Sparks Fly', and you guys are free to request anything else you want to see (including any ideas sparked by the sequel). Does that make sense? What do you guys think?**

**2. I am pretty sure that I've figured out a way to publish my stories as a book. I'll go into more details, but first I wanted to know how many people are interested. If you are, will you please say so in a review or email me at (link to my email on my profile)? Once I know how many people are interested, I can start investigating prices and things like that.**

**3. I'm doing NaNoWriMo! Come friend me if you are too! My screen name is ITSemilyOMG. Also, I am writing a novel! I've mentioned that before... but anyway. For updates on it, my NaNoWriMo story, and 'Sparks Fly', you should follow me on twitter. My screen name is writemily. (You should also follow me on tumblr, just for the heck of it. My screen name there is omgitsemily.)**

**4. Out of curiosity, how many of you are guys and how many are girls? I'm just kind of interested in the demographics.**

**Thanks you guys! You are all amazingly awesome! Be sure to leave your answers in reviews or email me. :D**

**-Emily**

**+Responses to Reviews+**

**NeverTooLate03: Haha I still feel like I fail at updating. It's because I overanalyze things so much! It drives me crazy! Haha I really may have to bring Henry back, just so we can all enjoy 'sexy, confident, jealous Jim'. :P Thank you!**

**23jk: Thank you so much! I'm glad you like it!**

**Horseygirl 96: I do have a lot of readers. It's kind of scary, honestly. Whoa, am I really one of the most popular people in this category? I mean, I guess that makes sense... but Whoa! That's crazy! Thank you so much!**

**Icecreampopstar: Haha Yeah, I hope I didn't ruin brownies for you! :P Thank you!**

**MistressTaco: Haha Thanks! Oh, I've been there - where your parents keep looking at you funny for laughing at the computer. That's always interesting. Lol. Ugh, school does suck, but good luck on that paper!**

**anon: I love when you write long reviews! Thank you so very much! I'm glad you liked it!**

**ADangerousPastime: Nice pun lol. Yes, I'm definitely going to try to update more often! I'm sorry it keeps taking me so long! This chapter was before the sequel, but it didn't have much cute and awkward... I'd love to do more of that though! I'll see what I can do. Thanks! :D**

**Tsukasa-kun: Haha I know, right? Those two trapped in space with no way to... erm, relieve the tension... What else could you expect? :D Thank you!**

**malisa: Lol Thank you very much!**

**SweetAngel183: Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it! I know! I'm very excited about my first book, too!**


	14. The Past & The Future

**Hey guys! I was a little quicker on updating this time! Yay!**

**I guess I should explain why though: This chapter was written mostly by NeverTooLate03. She helped me come up with the basic ideas, but then I had absolutely no inspiration to write it, so she wrote it for me! Since then, I've edited it some, and added the conversations at the end onto it, but the majority of it is all her work.**

**Also, this is for her birthday! Okay, so her birthday was the 12th, and it's technically the 13th now... but I haven't gone to sleep yet, so I'm going to take credit and say that I got it up (mostly) on time! So Happy Birthday, fellow fangirl!**

**You guys should all go check out her Treasure Planet story - it's really good!**

**This is the first chapter of the 'chapters I have to write before I write the sequel'. There are probably going to be six total. Good thing you guys like long stories, I guess...**

**Also, if you're curious about the time or setting or anything, this is almost two years after Tabitha and Jim got married. I think everything's explained throughout the chapter, so it should all fall together, but if you have any questions, just let me know!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"And so that was our first official date," Tabitha concluded glancing from Jim to Silver, who was sitting across the table from the married couple.

"Sounds absolutely lovely," Abigail commented. "Plus you planned it on her birthday, Jim. That made it even more special."

"Yeah, it did," Tabitha agreed taking a loving glance at her husband.

"You're so lucky," Rylee sighed dreamily. "A girl's first date should always be unforgettable."

Graham snorted.

"What's your problem?" Rylee asked narrowing her eyes.

"Yeah, Graham you've been sulking the entire time Tabitha was telling the story," Cason remarked.

"I just can't believe Jim spent so much time setting up that date," Graham confessed leaving everybody gaping at him.

"You know, Graham, just because you have announced yourself as an 'unattainable bachelor for life' doesn't mean you have to be a jerk," Rylee retorted crossing her arms at him.

"I'm not trying to be a jerk!" he said through gritted teeth. "Would you let me explain?"

Everybody looked at each other with arched eyebrows before turning their attention back on the not-so-liked-at-the-moment Graham.

"I just think it was a waste of time for Jim and Tabitha because Jim had to set everything up instead of spending quality time with his girl; he ran around with his head chopped off getting everything ready for something Tabby didn't even ask for," Graham explained.

Silver rubbed his face with his hand clearly frustrated and somewhat amused with Graham's explanation while Abigail just looked at the lad with sympathy. Everybody else was open-mouthed ready to argue against him but Abigail with a wave of her hand delayed their arguments for that moment waiting for her to speak.

"Graham..." she sighed. "Jim went through so much trouble because he wanted to do something special for a girl he cared deeply for."

"Yeah, but - "

"She's right lad," Silver interrupted the young man's complaint. "I understand where yer comin' from," he chuckled, "I was in t'e same mind set as you are before I met Abby, t'inking tha' being wit a girl like tha' was a waste of time... but I learned tha' was just 'cause I hadn't met t'e right girl yet."

Abigail and Silver smiled at each other, Cason wrapped his arm tighter around Rylee as she leaned her head against his shoulder, and Tabitha laced her fingers through Jim's as he placed a kiss against her temple. Graham was still processing what Silver and Abigail had told him, but he just shrugged at everybody as he took a purp from the middle of the table and taking a bite.

Silver shook his head amusedly at him. "Ye'll see."

"Now," Abigail turned her scrutinizing glare to Silver, who cringed a bit. "Why were _you_ so depressed during the story telling?" she asked the cyborg, who gulped in response.

"What?" Tabitha asked curiously looking at Silver waiting for an explanation.

"Ah, it's not'ing lass," he smiled half-heartedly, trying to shake off the inquiry.

"It wasn't nothing," Abigail said softly, placing her hand tenderly on her husband's.

Silver sighed deeply. "I jus' feel like I missed a lot o' yer special moments - you an' Jimbo's first date, yer birthdays, t'e both o' ya graduatin' wit' honors... Wish I coulda been there fer it's all"

They all nodded in understanding at Silver's reasoning but Tabitha had a thoughtful expression on her features as she looked at him.

"You know," Tabitha said reluctantly, "We've all wondered…"

She trailed off and looked over at Jim. He took a deep breath, realizing what his wife was getting at. "Yeah, Tabitha and I used to ask each other all the time when you weren't here..."

"What?" Silver asked warily.

"Where were you?" Tabitha finally asked, concern and accusation clearly coming through her voice.

Silver looked taken aback and a bit guilty at the question. "Ah... tha's a long story, Tabby."

Abigail smiled. "I think you should tell them, especially since you've been thinking about going for a visit soon."

"She knows?" Jim said abruptly.

"Well she saw me scar!" Silver told him as an excuse as Abigail glared at her husband. "I would hav' told ya if any o' ya'd asked! It ain't a big secret."

Tabitha eyes were wide. "You've got a scar?"

"And you want to go back?" Graham added from his seat.

"Back to where?" Cason added.

"Let me explain," Silver sighed. "Oy, this is gonna be a long night..."

* * *

_"Ungh," Silver groaned as he slowly became aware of the massive amount of pain in his lower back. He gingerly sat up on a small but sturdy bed and looked around the room._

"Wha' deh..?" _He questioned his surroundings; not recognizing the place as anything familiar, or as an infirmary. It looked like a small boarding room one would find in an inn or a cozy guest room. A dresser occupied the space by the end of the bed which was across a door that was slightly ajar. Silver figured it to be a small washroom because to his left was another door which was his current destination._

_John Silver carefully swung his machine leg to meet the rug covered floor and was about to attempt to stand up when a quick knock interrupted his thinking._

Run! Nah, can't do tha'…better ta jus' _- Silver quickly tired to activate his pistol on his cyborg arm - _be ready fer anyt'ing_. He finished thinking his plan through in a second. Out of fear that whoever was on the other side of the door was a foe and not an ally, he wanted to be prepared. The door slowly crept opened and Silver had to disarm._

_The intruder gave him a small smile as she closed the door behind while she carried a small tray in with food and water. If it wasn't for the difference in physical appearance Silver had to swear that the girl was about the same age as Tabitha and Jim. She had short dark brown hair which matched her equally dark but bright brown eyes. This girl also held herself so much differently than Tabitha. From the way she moved she seemed to always be on the defensive… or the offense. Silver favorably thought the latter because of the pistol she carried on her hip._

_"Glad you're awake," she told him as she placed the tray on his dresser, "we were starting to get worried ya might never wake up."_

_She wiped her hands off on her black pants waiting for a response from him but Silver still had no idea why he was here or what had happened. The last bit he remembered was arriving on this planet and then going to see… _Who in blue blazes did I go see?

_"Who is d'is 'we'?" Silver asked suspiciously. The young girl seemed to catch on that Silver wasn't exactly comfortable with the situation and she lifted an eyebrow at him._

_"So I'm guessing ya don't remember then, huh?" Her eyes shifted from his face to his lower back and Silver tentatively placed his non-cybrog arm over the sore, painful spot. Silver's eyes narrowed in concentration to locate the memory of receiving this wound and it finally came to him._

_"Damn it t' hell," he slammed his fist against the wall, "tha' slimy little..." he couldn't seem to find the words but the girl was nodding along with his description, completely agreeing with him. "I can't believe I ever did tha'… tha' was…"_

_"Stupid," the girl supplied for him and Silver finally looked back at her._

_"Yeah. Suppose it was..." he agreed, a bit surprised by the bluntness of her statement._

_"Suppose? I've never seen something as stupid as that in my life," she laughed lightly at Silver's scowl. "Ah, come on now, you took on a wanted pirate with charges of treason, murder, theft, and many other unmentionables... What were ya thinking?" She finished her explanation with a serious question._

_"Tha' he was an ol' friend," he supplied a serious answer thinking that the girl would be shocked by his answer. On the contrary she only grinned._

_"If ya think you're gonna scare me with 'I'm friends with a wanted pirate' then you've got another thing coming," she told him, "Besides, I already figured that."_

_"Oh, how?" Silver inquired._

_"I sort of overheard your conversation," she said slowly but at Silver's frown she added, "Accidentally, of course. But that's not the only thing."_

_The girl got a small transmission hologram pod out of her back pocket and threw it on the floor where it activated. It was a transmission on a wanted pirate by the name of Captain John Silver. The mentioned pirated groaned and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and pointer finger at hearing his name and the crimes that followed after it. He carefully looked back at the girl who was just looking at him curiously, not frightened at all._

_"Wanted pirates gotta stick together, I suppose," she mused, putting the pod back in her pocket._

_"I don't understand - " Silver started to say but at the shake of the girl's head he stopped._

_"I don't leave dying people on the side of the road, even strangers. I didn't know till my brother showed me the transmission that you were a wanted criminal and, no offense, but you don't look that dangerous to me," she confessed. "Johnny wanted me to call the cops as soon as we confirmed it was the dreaded Captain John Silver," she said in a laugh, "but you were already fixed up and I convinced my brother to give you a few days before we decide."_

_Silver nodded at her reasoning still concerned with her lack of necessary fear. "Decide w'at exactly?"_

_"Whether or not you were trustworthy enough to have stick around," she replied simply._

_"Bu-but I'm a wanted criminal," Silver retorted._

_The girl laughed. "Yeah, see, its comments like that which make you seem not so dangerous. And if you haven't noticed - which I think you have since you did come to this planet - Ciaran is filled with wanted criminals so you'll fit along here just fine. My brother is just being overprotective of me, the brat."_

_"So ya normally hide wanted criminals?" Silver asked, nothing short of intrigued._

_She thought for a moment. "Maybe. I'm really not sure. You would be the first wanted criminal I know I have staying here."_

_"Wha' makes ya so certain tha' I'm stayin?" He asked her fiercely._

_"You need somewhere to stay for a few months," she answered easily. "Remember I overheard your conversation?"_

_"Well," Silver thought for a moment, "w'at would ya hav' me do then?"_

_"I don't know," she thought out loud. "I'm guessin' with that hunk o' hardware you'd be pretty handy for several odd jobs here and there, and if ya can cook, we need someone to fill that position."_

_Silver smiled for the first time since meeting the lass. "Oh, I can cook." He told her remembering his memories of Tabby asking for the same dish over and over again. Thinking about Tabby got Silver wondering about the girl in front of him. "So if ya don't mind me askin'... 'xactly how old are yeh, lass?"_

_"Almost sixteen," she answered proudly. "Oh, and Johnny's fourteen, if you were wondering that too."_

_He coughed in surprise even though he'd guessed from her looks that she was about Tabby's age he never would have thought that she was _actually_ that young. "Sixteen? W'at are yeh doing messin' around in dis planet?"_

_"Huh, haven't got that reaction in a while," she muttered. "When ya live around here ya learn to grow up pretty fast. Besides, I run this bar, so actually, I'm about thirty."_

_"Ugh," Silver groaned, "I really am gettin' too old." He rubbed his face with his hands. "Where yer parents at?"_

_"Mom's dead," she said unhappy about that statement but she seemed to have accepted it. "Dad is… let's just say not around..."_

Why does dis girl have t' remind me of Jim an' Tabby? _Silver thought sadly._

_"Let me guess -" she said with a smirk. "You're thinking that I would be an easy target of getting taking advantage of 'round here?"_

_"Well, yeah. O' course," Silver stated the obvious._

_She sighed. "It hasn't been easy, but I know how to take care of myself," she told him but the pirate still seemed unconvinced. She narrowed her eyes and pointed a finger warningly at him. "Look, I don't need another protector around here, so if ya think - "_

_"Don't worry lass," he waved her concern away. "I'll leave ya be."_

_"Good. Then I think we may be able to work together," she told him with a smile as she offered her hand. "Just get recovered first, Cap'n."_

_They shook hands. "Jus' call me Silver."_

_"Vanessa McCabe," she finally gave him a name. She was about to say something else but was interrupted by a hard knock at the door._

_"Nessa! Ya in there?" A voice of a loud male came through the door. She opened her mouth to answer, but paused and turned back to Silver._

_"You ready?" She asked him in a serious tone._

_"Fer what?" he asked warily._

_"To meet my brother," she replied and before Silver had a chance to respond Vanessa had already let in her brother._

_"Vaness - whoa," John seemed speechless at the sight of the very much alert and awake pirate in the same room as his sister. "I thought we agreed at talking to the pirate together," he glared back toward his sister._

_"No, you agreed; I just politely listened," she retorted. "Silver this is my brother, John. The rude one."_

_"Oh great," John muttered, "you've already made friends with the dangerous pirate. Only you would be so distant with non-criminal types and make friends with wanted pirates."_

_Vanessa had to look up to be able to make a face at her brother's comment. That was when Silver realized just how huge this supposed fourteen year old was. He had to be at least a foot taller than his sister and he probably weighed at least three times more than she did. John had to be the strongest human Silver had ever seen which made him wonder how much of the boy was really human. Besides the physical dynamics being insanely different, the McCabe siblings looked very similar, except that John wore his hair twice as long as Vanessa did, his going just past his shoulders while hers was chopped off just below her ears._

_"He is actually not as dangerous as you were thinking," she commented which John scoffed at. "I've already hired him as our cook."_

_"Ya what?" Vanessa's brother exclaimed. "What were ya thinking?"_

_"I was _thinking_ that we need a cook," she snapped back. "Besides, the guy still needs medical attention. Even if he wanted to do something, we can easily stop him."_

_"But ya trust him to cook our food?" John questioned motioning to Silver who was still sitting on the bed and eying him with disdain._

_"We'll keep an eye on him," she compromised._

_John McCabe looked from his sister to the wanted pirate several times before sighing a "Fine" and stomping out of the small room. His sister promptly rolled her eyes._

_"Sorry about him," she apologized on her brother's behalf. "He can be a bit paranoid and impulsive about things."_

_"Ya were right bout deh rude part too," Silver commented gruffly. "But don't ya t'ink tha' you should be a bit concerned as well?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "Yer a bit too young ta be tha' fearless."_

_She smiled at him. "Never too young to be fearless. Only too old."_

_"Ah but lass," Silver sighed, "not much ta lose when ya get as ol' as meself."_

_"Not much to lose now, either," she mumbled under her breath._

_Silver was pretty certain this wasn't meant to be heard by him, so he pretended like it wasn't. "So... when do I start workin' fer ya?"_

_She grinned, placing her hands smartly on her hips. "Whenever you're up for it."_

* * *

"So you go to Ciaran, get yourself shot, miraculously get saved by a girl who already knows too much, and you end up getting a job and a place to stay..." Graham summarized with a nod of his head. "You, John Silver, are one lucky bastard."

Silver coughed on his drink. "Lucky? I was shot, lad!"

"Nah, Graham's right," Cason agreed with his friend.

"Yeah, you getting shot led you to meet this girl that gave you a place to stay for years," Jim also agreed.

"B-But he still got shot," Tabitha spluttered out. She couldn't believe everybody was so unconcerned with that fact. Even though it did happen years ago, Tabitha never wanted anyone else she cared about hurt. "Who shot you?" she asked when curiosity got the better of her.

"Ah, don't worry 'bout it, Tabby," Silver sighed. "It won't happen again. Nessie was right when she said tha' it was stupid."

"But who was it?" Jim also inquired as his curiosity rose too.

Silver was defeated. "An ol' friend o' mine from way back. Goes by Cap'n Hook these days."

With the exception of Silver and Abigail, everybody's jaw dropped.

"You knew Hook?" Cason was the only one able to speak.

"I was a pirate," was Silver's only explanation and wouldn't go on any further. He seemed uncomfortable with the subject of his history related with piracy. So understandably everybody dropped the discussion of Silver's near death experience and the pirate responsible for it. Abigail and Silver shared some looks that led the others to believe that the couple knew the whole story behind Silver and Hook's past friendship and troubles.

"Her mother died too?" Tabitha asked quietly, effectively changing the conversation.

"Yep," Silver answered grimly. "Nessie's mom was… lets jus' say not suited fer anot'er child."

"Oh..." Tabitha said sadly.

"So she was pretty much parentless?" Rylee asked, looking incredibly sympathetic towards a girl she hadn't even met.

Silver adamantly shook his head at this.

"But didn't she tell you that her father wasn't around?" Jim asked in confusion at Silver's answer.

"That she did," Silver allowed, "but tha' didn't mean he wasn't around."

"What?" poor Graham asked, looking more confused than anybody else at the table.

"Don't worry - I thought t'e same t;ing'," Silver shared with them. "I hav' more explanin' ta do..."

* * *

_The day was coming to a close, which meant that Silver still had a ton of work to do. There were dishes piling up and food that need to be stored for use tomorrow. Not to mention his usual run in with John McCabe. Silver had been working peacefully for John's sister for months and John still could not accept that the 'wanted pirate' was here to stay. Whistling, Silver carried on with his duties thinking about how to avoid the ignorant boy when Vanessa walked in as per her usual routine._

_"Good evenin', Nessie," Silver greeted the dark haired girl who just nodded in reply as she placed various sets of notebooks, bills, and inventory lists down on her desk. With a great sigh she started her work, which would probably last her until the early hours of the morning. Despite the fact that Silver did not care too much for the younger McCabe, Silver greatly admired and liked the oldest._

_After Silver's recovery, he and Vanessa usually worked side by side at the end of each day. In the beginning, however, Vanessa would stay with him throughout the entire day to see if he was really as trustworthy as she assumed he was. Silver quickly learned that the young girl never went anywhere without her pistol attached to her hip or the tough mask she usually wears around the customers that would make anybody think twice about trying to take advantage of her. Even on Vanessa's sixteenth birthday, she held onto her defensive facade and pistol._

_But after a couple of weeks went by, Vanessa was able to convince her brother that the pirate was trusted enough by her to let him to be by himself and cook without her watchful eye. Johnny agreed reluctantly, and only because Vanessa watching Silver was beginning to slow business down because Vanessa was needed out front in order to run it. Ever so slowly after that event, Vanessa had been letting a few of her walls down around Silver every week and vice versa._

_Naturally Silver's past crimes were brought up out of Vanessa's curiosity and desire to have some adventures of her own. She eagerly listened when Silver told her the experiences he had been through and, of course, of Treasure Planet. Vanessa was sold at that point. She confessed to him on the last night of storytelling that if it wasn't for her brother and the fact that she had to run the bar she would have been off this planet without hesitation._

_Silver understood that being stuck in one place could get pretty boring and routine based. He already missed being out in space, not to mention a few people that he would love to have back for companionship. He had told Vanessa about the two young adults he'd played father figure for, and she just stood staring at him for a minute before asking:_

_"What in the Etherium are you doing here then?"_

_He then explained to her that he didn't want them getting in trouble for harboring a known wanted criminal. That he wanted the best for them, which meant that he had to stay far away. Instead of looking shocked, like before, Vanessa now looked at the cyborg sadly._

_"Real friends, real family, won't care or mind about a silly thing like that," she told him. "You should go see them."_

_"Maybe I will," Silver mused, though more to humor the girl. He knew he couldn't._

_Tonight, however, there was no chatting. Vanessa was hard at work and needed the silence so she could get done at a somewhat reasonable hour. They worked comfortably in silence for an hour before one of Vanessa's bartenders rushed in._

_"Okay," her short, plump, blonde bartender told her, "customers have all cleared out, Vanessa. I got Harold cleaning up, but if ya don't mind I need ta get home a bit early...?" The woman ended her statement in more of a question as if she was nervous that her boss would say 'no'._

_"What's going on Marge?" Vanessa asked her concerned._

_"Oh, not a thing, ma'am," she assured her. "I'd just like ta get home ta celebrate my anniversary with my husband... I promise yeh that I will work extra hard my next shift."_

_Vanessa smiled tiredly at her. "Don't worry about it Marge. Go. Congrats."_

_Silver had never seen the woman smile as big ever before. "Thank ya kindly, Vanessa!" And then she was gone._

_"Tha' was a nice t'ing ya did fer Marge," Silver commented as he dried off a dish._

_"She deserves a break. And honestly, if she would have told me sooner, I would have let her have the whole day," Vanessa sounded irritated._

_Silver laughed. "Ya need ta be careful, lass. People may find out jus' how nice yeh are."_

_"Ha-ha. Funny." She rolled her eyes and continued to write down numbers._

_"Jus' out o' curiosity," Silver started. "What's t'day's date?"_

_"November fourteenth," she answered back promptly. When she didn't hear a response back or even the clink of dishes in the sink that Silver was working on before, Vanessa looked up from her work. She found Silver staring out the window, eyes glazed in memory and mouth slightly open, as if in a deep sense of shock._

_"You alright?" she called out, snapping him from his inner thoughts._

_Silver jumped. "Oh, uh... yeah, sure t'ing, Nessie. Whatever ya want..."_

_Her eyes narrowed at his incorrect answer. "What's today mean, Silver?" she inquired, suspicious of his odd behavior at the mention of the date._

_Silver let out a deep sigh. "It's Tabby's birthday. T'e lass is sixteen... Can't believe I forgot. I've…"_

_He trailed off in thought. He'd completely forgotten. He hadn't even bothered to send her a birthday gift. Of course, where would he send it? If she was still with Jim - which he had a good feeling she probably was - then he still only knew they were on Montressor, and that hardly narrowed it down._

_Suddenly, Vanessa was standing beside him. "I think she'll forgive you," she told him, reaching into the dish filled sink to help him out._

_"Ya t'ink so, huh?" Silver asked sincerely interested on her opinion._

_"Of course," she smiled at him. "I mean, hell, I don't know the girl, but if she's anywhere as nice as you made her out to be, then yeah, ya big lug, of course she'll forgive you."_

_Silver chuckled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ya really are a nice gal."_

_"Shut yer trap now Silver or you'll be sleeping outside," she warned, sliding out from under his grasp._

_"I'm jus' sayin' t'at - " Silver's comment was interrupted by a loud noise coming from bar. They quickly ran through kitchen door, each preparing their pistols for intruders. Once back in the bar, the only thing that looked unnatural to Silver was that John McCabe and Harold were gathered around an old, graying man who seemed to have taken a fall down the stairs. Vanessa just let out an exhausted sigh as she put her pistol back where it belonged and went to help the man._

_"What t'e…?" Silver mumbled. He had never seen that man before. The gray haired man looked to be a bit scrawny but he still looked like some sort of giant._

_"Where…where dis tha-tha'... wo-woman?" The man spluttered out spraying Harold with spit._

_Vanessa completely ignored this question. "How did he end up down here?" she fired a question at her brother._

_"Don't know," he retorted in a growl as he picked up the old man._

_"Y-You t'ere - girl," he continued to splutter. "Where dis tha' mother o' yours?"_

_Vanessa sighed, choosing not to answer. "You need to sleep."_

_"Nuh uh," he replied with a yawn._

_"Get him back to his room. This should not have happened. We'll call the Doctor over in the morning to make sure that fall of his didn't do any damage," she instructed her brother who just nodded grimly as he towed the man up the stairs._

_"Thanks, Harold," she turned to the other bartender. "You can go home if ya want."_

_"Any time, Miss McCabe," he replied back, tipping his had cordially._

_Vanessa then made her way back to kitchen passing Silver on her way who was still looking confused. It wasn't till he heard her asking what was taking so long that it finally registered to just ask._

_"Who was tha'?" He asked after immediately joining her._

_"You get down to business fast," she mumbled with a sigh. "That - " she nodded toward the bar area. "Was my father."_

_Silver gaped at her. "Yer father?" Vanessa merely nodded at this. "But ya said he wasn't around."_

_"Because he ain't."_

_"Well I got some good evidence sayin' tha' he is!" Silver bellowed._

_Vanessa turned on him, glaring defensively at his accusation. "Why are you so angry about this? What's it to you?"_

_"I thought yeh trusted me enough ta tell me if yer pap was still around," he told her firmly. "I thought yeh had nobody."_

_Vanessa stared at floor for a moment before looking back up at Silver, her face calmer but also sadder. "Did you not notice? He was drunk."_

_"Yeah, so?" Silver questioned. He never thought being drunk was a crime, unless…_

_"...And he has been for the past fourteen years," she reluctantly admitted. There was a long pause where it finally clicked with Silver on what Vanessa was going on about and began to feel guilty for prying. "So, yeah, I don't count him as being around much..."_

_Silver rubbed the back of his neck regretfully. "Ah, I'm sorry, lass..."_

_"Don't worry about it," she shrugged. "Not your problem."_

_There was silence for several minutes until Silver finally found the courage to ask:_

_"Is he t'e reason yer still here?"_

_Vanessa gulped back any emotions she was starting to feel and nodded. "My father owns this place, I just run it. I have no right to sell it or even hand it to my brother so he can run it. Honestly, I'm stuck here till my father dies and I officially inherit it."_

_"So, yer not here t' take care o' him," Silver began. "Yer here cause he has t'e deeds ta dis place. Ya don't care fer him at all?"_

_"Don't go makin' it out like I'm the bad guy here," she snapped at him. "That man you just saw ain't my father." She sighed and quietly added, "Just a drunken fool still grieving for his wife after fourteen years."_

_"Guess I understand as much as I can, Nessie... but a girl yer age don't be needin' all o' t'is."_

_"Yeah, you're telling me," she mumbled exhaustedly._

_"Lass, if I can, uh... help ya in any way - " Silver started to offer._

_Vanessa shook her head. "You're doing plenty. Just find your friends again and we'll call it even."_

_Silver chuckled. "Yer bein' too nice again."_

_"Am not," she narrowed her eyes at him, though a slight smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. "I'm just sick of listening to you blabber on about 'em is all."_

* * *

_"_So that's why you want to go visit - to help her the way she helped you, and to let her know you finally found Tabitha and Jim again," Rylee said with a smile despite everybody else's frowns. "You're so sweet."

Silver looked at her as if she was crazy. "Hardly consider meself sweet."

"But you are," Abigail said affectionately.

Silver glanced at her then laughed and shook his head. "So," he began to change the subject. "Who's in?"

"Are you serious?" Tabitha questioned. "You're really going back?"

"Well, I t'ink it'd be a good idea t' check on her," he explained. "I hadn't seen her in three years."

"I think it's a good idea," Rylee said.

"Yeah, I guess I have to go," Jim agreed. "Since I'm pretty sure you're just assuming you can use our ship."

The groups laughter was suddenly interrupted by the sound of crying coming from upstairs. Rylee and Cason looked at each other and Cason smiled.

"I've got it," he assured her as he stood up.

"You sure?" Rylee verified.

"Yeah, I'm pretty tired anyway. I'll get him settled and then I'm going to hit the sack." Cason leaned down and quickly kissed her. "Come up soon."

Rylee nodded and the rest of the group began to stretch, realizing they were all pretty tired too.

"We should probably turn in as well," Abigail stated as she glanced over at Silver, who nodded in agreement.

"I think we're all pretty tired," Graham said. "But I'm up for discussing this trip to Ciaran tomorrow!"

Graham, Abigail, and Silver said their goodbyes and headed back to the Benbow, leaving Jim, Tabitha, and Rylee alone downstairs.

"I guess I should probably go make sure that Cason's got everything under control," Rylee said as she turned to head upstairs.

"Uh, actually - " Jim suddenly began. "Would you mind if I went? I'd kind of like to talk to Cason - "

"Oh, of course! Be my guest."

Jim mumbled a thanks before heading upstairs. The first bedroom he reached was sparsely furnished - a double bed, a small dresser that doubled as a nightstand, and a bassinett, all spares borrowed form the Benbow Inn. There, standing beside the small cradle, was Cason, holding what appeared to be a wrapped up blanket, but was in fact his nearly one year old son. Jim smiled to himself and knocked lightly on the open door.

Cason looked up, then sighed in mocked impatience. "You're not my wife."

Jim let out a quiet chuckle. "Thank God for that."

The father laughed quietly. "Is she coming up soon though?"

"Yeah, I think so. I just volunteered to come help with Jordan."

"Why?"

"Well," Jim sighed, running a hand nervously through his hair. "Mostly because I wanted to talk to you. You just got here this morning, so I haven't really had time to... I don't know... catch up with you, see how your life's been."

Cason chuckled. "Rylee and I have spent the whole day telling you how our life's been - she got pregnant, we got married, Jordan Michael Deason was born, we came to visit you. All the in between stuff is boring."

"You know, he looks just like you," Jim stated.

"Yeah, everyone says that. Too bad he didn't get his mom's good looks."

Jim laughed, but it was distant. He was more focused on watching Cason rock his son back and forth in his arms... "What's it like?"

"What's what like?"

"Being a dad," he asked awkwardly.

Cason blinked in surprise, then looked down at his sleeping son and chuckled. "Well... It's not easy, that's for sure. When Rylee first told me... I came closer to being in shock then than when I got shot back on Lacuna."

"That scary, huh?"

"Oh, yeah," Cason sighed as he laid his son back in his bed. "The most terrifying thing I've ever heard in my life. Well, actually, the most terrifying was probably finding out that her dad knew she was pregnant before we'd had the chance to tell him ourselves."

Jim hissed through his teeth. "I bet that was... fun."

"I honestly thought that man might kill me. He warmed up to me after a while, I guess, but he's still kind of suspicious of me. Beats the hell - I mean heck - " he said with a glance down towards Jordan. "Out of me why he would be though. We're married now, and I'm sure as... _heck_ not going to leave her." They laughed quietly together, both staring down at Jordan as he slept soundly. "But anyway, if finding out about it is scary, just wait until the nine months that follow. Toughest months of my life."

"Why?"

"There's a lot you have to do. Rylee never got morning sickness, thank the stars, but she was really sensitive to certain foods, plus we had doctors visits all the time, and I got a job at a diner so I could be with her and still earn money to buy our own house. Meanwhile we had to buy all the stuff we needed for a baby _and_ we were trying to plan a wedding." Cason sighed. "But besides all that, I... I was just so worried that something would... go wrong," he shook his head and rubbed at his face tiredly. "I don't know. It was so nerve-racking, knowing that she was carrying our child..." He thought for a moment, then laughed. "But then, after those months were over, and she finally had him, it was... it was all worth it." He shook his head again, completely at a loss for words, then looked to Jim. "Jim, I can promise you that there is _nothing_ in the Etherium half as amazing as holding your child for the first time."

Jim smiled slightly, keeping his gaze focused on Jordan. "I believe it."

"So why is it that you haven't learned all this for your own yet?" Cason suddenly asked. Jim looked up sharply at him and Cason continued. "I mean, you and Tabitha... Stars, I was expecting the news that she was pregnant by the time you got back from your honeymoon, if not sooner."

Jim laughed once. "Yeah, I think everyone was. I don't know what to tell you, though. It just hasn't happened yet."

"Really? But... stars, you guys have been married almost two years."

Jim grinned and nodded. "I know. I still can't believe it's been that long. It seems like we only said our vows a few weeks ago... But I'm, uh, kind of glad it's taken this long. It's given us more time to... ah, develop, I guess."

Cason smirked. "Yeah, 'develop'. I know what you mean." Jim rolled his eyes but Cason just laughed. "No, really, I do, and I envy you. I mean, I didn't even propose until after I found out I was going to be a dad. Don't get me wrong - I love the way things turned out. I love being a father. I love Rylee... But sometimes I wish we'd had some time to ourselves before we became a family, you know?"

"Yeah... Well, Tabitha and I can watch Jordan if you and Rylee ever need some time to yourself," Jim shrugged.

"Really?" Cason asked in surprise. "Huh... I might have to take you up on that."

"Well, um... that was all, I guess," Jim mumbled. "I just haven't had the chance to talk to you much."

"Yeah, sure. Will you send Rylee up when you get down there?"

"No problem," Jim answered.

"Oh, and Jim?" Jim turned around in the doorway and Cason laughed. "If you and Tabitha decide to do any developing tonight, will you keep it down? We're pretty tired."

Jim opened his mouth to snap something back, then glanced over at the cradle. "You'll pay for that sometime when your son's not around."

Cason laughed as Jim shut the door behind him.

* * *

Rylee's thankful smile at Jim taking her place was quickly replaced when she turned back to look at Tabitha. "What's wrong?"

Tabitha turned her sad gaze away from the staircase Jim had just ascended and back to her best friend. "What? Oh, nothing."

"I can tell when you're lying," Rylee stated as she followed Tabitha into the kitchen.

"I'm just tired," Tabitha shrugged as she headed over to the sink to begin doing the dishes left over from the group's dinner.

"No, you aren't," Rylee argued. "I've seen you when you're 'just tired', and this isn't how you look. You seem... worried, or something." Tabitha didn't answer. Rylee sighed. "Tabitha... I know today was the first time I'd seen you since Cason and I left after your wedding, but I didn't want to travel when I was pregnant, and then we were nervous about taking Jordan anywhere when he was so young... Maybe I should have done a better job keeping in touch... but I still want to be your best friend."

Tabitha turned around to face the girl who now looked on the verge of tears. "Oh, Ry, I know that, and you are," she laughed lightly as she hugged her friend. "I'm not upset about that."

"But you are upset about something else?" she verified. "Look, if it's about Cason and Jordan and me staying here instead of at the Benbow, we can move. We just didn't want Jordan to wake the whole inn if he started crying in the middle of the night, or - "

"No, no, you're fine. It's not that..." Tabitha sighed. "I'm... I'm just kind of... worried about Jim." Rylee stared at her warily, so she continued. "In case you didn't notice, Jim and I... haven't had any kids of our own yet."

"No, I know, and I wondered about that, but - "

"And I know that he really wants them. I keep seeing the way he looks at Jordan, and he just went to help Cason..." Tabitha shook her head sadly. "He wants to be a father so much."

"So... what exactly is the problem?" Rylee asked quietly. "I mean, you two have been trying... right?"

"Yeah, of course. We have been from the beginning." They were silent for a moment, then Tabitha took a deep breath. "Ry, I... I really don't know anything about... kids or getting pregnant or anything like that. You're the only person I know that's ever had a baby, and I wasn't even around for any of that, but... Don't... Don't people usually get pregnant quicker than this? I mean, you and Cason... how long did it take you guys?"

Rylee blushed lightly but smiled. "It was only the second time."

"The _second_ time?" Tabitha gasped in shock. "Stars..."

"Yeah, it was... I don't know. I think that's quicker than usual... But on the other hand, two years is a long time..."

"Yeah... I know... Is there - I mean..." Tabitha swallowed anxiously. "How can you tell if... Well... if something's wrong?"

Rylee immediately walked over and wrapped her in a hug. "Oh, Tabitha, that's not what i meant."

"No, no, I was already thinking about that. It's just..." She pulled back to look at her best friend. "What if... What if I can't?"

Rylee shook her head adamantly. "No. No, that can't be it..."

"Then do you have any idea what it could be?" Tabitha practically begged.

Her friend hesitated. "Maybe it's just taking a long time..."

Tabitha sighed heavily and dried off the last dish, her mind miles away from the kitchen.

"Have you talked to Jim about it yet?" Rylee inquired.

"Talked to Jim about what?"

The two girls looked up at Jim as he entered the kitchen. Jim's gaze instantly locked on Tabitha and how sad she suddenly looked. There was a tense pause, then finally Rylee spoke up.

"Oh, um, I'm... going to bed," she said timidly.

"Goodnight, Ry," Tabitha said.

Rylee glanced at Jim, then turned around and hugged Tabitha again, whispering, "It's all going to be fine. I know it."

"'Night," Jim smiled at Rylee as she headed up for bed, then urgently turned back to Tabitha. "What is it?"

"What is what?" she asked as she headed for their bedroom.

"What's wrong?" Jim explained as he followed. "You look upset."

Jim closed the bedroom door behind them, then stopped. Tabitha was standing there, her arms crossed over her chest insecurely, facing him, but with her eyes cast downward. He waited a minute, and when she didn't make any move to talk to him, he slowly approached her.

"Tabitha?" he asked quietly as his hands encircled her waist. "What is it?"

Tabitha finally looked up and let out a shaky breath. "Jim... You want to be a father, don't you?"

"Well, yeah..." he responded confusedly. "Of course. What guy doesn't? Other than Graham."

She smiled a half smile at the joke. "Yeah, and... the possibility of me getting pregnant has been there since our honeymoon."

"Yeah..." Jim said, his brow furrowed worriedly.

"Then why haven't we been able to have kids yet?" she asked tearfully. "I mean... it seems like it should have happened by now."

"Yeah, I was actually just talking to Cason about this...," he agreed. "But everyone's different. Just because it's taking us a little longer - "

"A _little_ longer?" she repeated skeptically. "It's been almost two years; this is more than just a 'little longer'. Cason and Rylee have Jordan. She got pregnant the second time! The _second time_, Jim!"

"Shh... It's okay," he tried to calm her. Tabitha took a deep breath, and Jim sighed. "Yeah, okay... So it's taking us a _lot_ longer. But that's okay," he consoled, brushing her hair away from her face and placing a hand on her cheek. "I think it's a good thing it's taken so long. It's given us more time to get settled and develop our marriage. Look, if you'd gotten pregnant the second time, then we'd be raising a kid at the Benbow instead of our own home, and having to take turns staying home while the other went out on voyages to earn money. We're more prepared than we would have been if - What?"

Tabitha had suddenly met Jim's gaze with one full of worry. She took a deep breath and finally managed to speak.

"What if I can't get pregnant, Jim?" she whispered.

"What?" he gasped.

"What if I can't? What if it isn't possible? I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and maybe I'm just not... Maybe I'm..." She shook her head, unable to speak anymore as she began to cry.

"Tabitha, no," Jim consoled as he pulled her into an embrace. "No. That's not it."

"How do you know that? How do you know there's not something wrong with me?"

"Look at me," he said sternly, tilting her head up so he could look her in the eye. "I am not about to let you take the blame for the reason we haven't had a kid yet. If there is a problem, it could be a problem with me just as much as it could be one with you... And say that there is a problem - so what?"

"So what?" she choked. "So we wouldn't be able to have kids! That's what!"

"No, wait, I'm sorry. That's not what I meant," he apologized, softly pushing her hair over her shoulder. "I just meant if there is a problem, then it's not your fault, it's not my fault, and we're not going to treat it like it is."

"But - "

Her interruption was halted when he calmly pressed his lips to hers for a second. When he pulled away, he tilted his forehead against hers. "Tabitha, I promised I would love you for better or for worse. No matter what happens, that's not going to change. No matter what problems we face, we're going to get through them. Together."

She looked up at him, a strange mix of fear and hopefulness shining through her eyes. Jim smiled once again tilted her chin up to face him, but softer this time. When her tear-filled eyes met his once again, he leaned down and kissed her, letting his hand come to rest at the back of her head.

"There is nothing - _nothing_ - wrong with you," he calmly whispered when they pulled away a moment later.

Tabitha let out a small sob, then threw her arms around him. Jim grinned and returned the embrace, rubbing her back comfortingly as he tilted his face into her hair.

* * *

**Wow, it got kinda dramatic there, didn't it? But trust me, that's nothing compared to what's coming up soon...**

**I'm glad you guys are interested in a book! As several of you mentioned, it would need to be cheap. I'm hoping that it won't be too much, but we'll just have to see. There's a lot of details to work out, so I'll put up more info. about it later. :)**

**Remember to check out NeverTooLate03's Treasure Planet story because it's made of awesome (and wish her a belated happy birthday while you're there!).**

**I hope you guys liked it! Reviews are always appreciated. :D**

**-Emily**

**P.S. - Out of curiosity, do any of you have a favorite chapter (from 'Fearless' or 'Sparks Fly')? If you do, leave it in a review!**

**+Responses to Reviews+**

**Horseygirl 96: I'm glad you like the random fluff! Haha I've done the Skype thing as well, so I know what you mean. I'm still shocked that I'm so popular! Thank you!**

**NeverTooLate03: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I hope you liked this chapter and were okay with the changes I made/stuff I added. Yes, the hint with Graham (in the last chapter) was intentional. And as you have probably figured out, yes, that chapter will be posted soon! Thank you so much!**

**anon: Glad you liked the princess dress! As far as the medical question, that's going to be explained in one of the chapters I write later, from when they're at the academy. Thanks!**

**malisa: Thank you so much! I'm really glad you like it!**

**23jk: Thank you! Haha Yes, I had assumed you were a girl by the way you obsess over Jim. But it's awesome - I think most (if not all) the female readers do it. I know I do! xD**

**Icecreampopstar: Haha I wonder if brownies are just going to be forever associated with that chapter. xD Thank you!**

**EventHorizon6: Thanks! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Don't worry - I will always keep writing! :D**

**SweetAngel183: Sweet! Thank you!**


	15. New Voyages and Old Concerns

_**I AM A DESPICABLE HUMAN BEING.**_

**You guys, I don't even have a good excuse or anything for why it's been three months since I updated. I AM SO, SO, _SO_ SORRY.**

**I'm just going to give you the chapter now and ramble on some more apologies/attempts at explanations at the end.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Things smoothed out slowly over the next week. Jim did just about everything he could think of to distract her from the thought of children (not an easy task when there was a baby in their house) or even the subject of intimacy. It seemed to be working (at least a little bit), and he was doing a pretty good job... until her birthday.

Almost two weeks after Tabitha's confession to Jim, everyone gathered at the Benbow for a small party to celebrate her twenty-first birthday. Everything was fine there; it wasn't until later, when they got back home, that Tabitha basically seduced him, claiming she wanted a... _more private_ kind of birthday present, until Jim realized he really didn't have any grounds to argue with her on and finally gave in.

The next morning, Jim immediately began to regret it, but Tabitha seemed less stressed and happier than she had in a while. Jim reached the ironic conclusion that maybe the bedroom had been the best place to provide a distraction to the baby situation, but decided that he'd let her be in charge of initiating that kind of thing... or he was going to try to, at least.

A couple of days after that, it was time for the Deason family to return home, and Jim couldn't help but be relieved. It wasn't that he was tired of having them around, but he was certain that having Jordan around all the time wasn't helping Tabitha get over the theory that there was a problem. Amidst everything else, Dr. Doppler informed them that one of his friends was in need of a captain, ship, and crew for a voyage he was planning. They agreed to meet with the prospective employer, which Jim only hoped would help keep Tabitha distracted for now.

As it worked out, Jim and Tabitha ended up scheduling a meeting with the possible employer - a Dr. Dubois - on the same day that Cason, Rylee, and Jordan had to head home, so they were all up at the crack of dawn to head off to the spaceport together. Tabitha seemed unusually cheerful despite the early wake up call. As she practically leapt to her feet at the sound of the alarm and immediately headed to the washroom for a shower, Jim crossed his fingers that the whole idea that there was something wrong with her was out of her mind, at least for the time being.

Jim was propped up in bed, aimlessly flipping through a book when Tabitha left the washroom a little while later. "Morning," she greeted cheerfully.

"Morning," he replied as he glanced up at her, doing an instant double-take as she dropped the towel and started to get dressed. "What are you doing?"

"What?" she asked innocently.

"Why are you getting dressed out here instead of in the washroom like you usually do?"

She shrugged, but a slight grin was starting to pull at the corners of her mouth. "I accidentally left my clothes out here."

"Accidentally my ass," Jim mumbled.

Tabitha giggled, but stopped abruptly. "What...?" She froze, then turned to face Jim, hands on her hips. "Jim... where are the rest of my clothes?"

Jim tried to hide his smirk by refusing to look at her. "What clothes?"

"Last night, I set aside the clothes I was going to wear today," she explained. "Now it seems my undergarments have gone missing. Do you know anything about that?"

"Can't say I do," Jim said as he closed the book and set it aside, crossing his arms over his chest smugly.

Tabitha's eyes narrowed as she surveyed him, then she suddenly walked over and pushed him. "Get up!"

"No! Why?" he laughed, refusing to budge.

"Because you're laying on top of them!"

"How do you know?"

Tabitha abruptly stopped fighting him and kissed him instead, repositioning herself over him. She pulled back just slightly, but Jim placed one hand on the back of her head and held her there. She moved back a little at a time, and each time he moved forward with her, until she finally had him sitting up. She pulled out of his grasp, reached behind him, and grabbed the clothing.

"Ah-ha! I knew it!"

"Oh, look at that," Jim feigned mild surprise. "They must have _accidentally_ ended up over here somehow."

Tabitha returned his smirk with a frown, but her attitude quickly changed. With a coy smile, she placed one hand against his shoulder and silently pushed him back down. Jim remained tensed and confused for a moment, but relaxed soon enough. She kept it up just long enough for his breathing to start to become labored before she pulled away and smiled brightly.

"Come on. We've got to get to the spaceport!"

Jim's jaw dropped. "But - "

A quick knock at their door interrupted his complaint. "Hey, I know that the bedroom is your favorite place to be, but we've got a launch to catch, so I'd appreciate it if you two would hurry it up," Cason's typical teasing voice called.

Tabitha arched her eyebrows and smirked, telling Jim she'd made her point.

Jim sighed. "You know, despite what you keep suggesting, Tabitha and I do have a marriage outside of the bedroom," he shouted back.

"I'll believe it when I see it," Cason laughed.

Tabitha giggled at how irritated Jim looked. "We're coming!" she shouted.

Jim didn't stop gawking at her the whole time she was getting dressed. He had a love/hate relationship with the way she could go from being a seductress one moment to playing nice and friendly the next. "You are driving me crazy, woman," he groaned as he finally stood up.

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently.

"I mean that you're a tease," he said.

"I'm not being a tease..." Tabitha laced her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer to him. "I'm giving you a preview of what you can expect tonight."

Jim's eyes widened slightly and his chest tightened with anticipation. Even these subtle reactions were spotted by Tabitha, who laughed and kissed his cheek before turning to leave. His heart was racing, and he had the feeling today was going to pass agonizingly slowly, but for now he could do nothing except sigh and follow her out of the room.

* * *

A quick stop at the Benbow for the Deason family to say goodbye, and then they were off to the spaceport to see them off and for Jim and Tabitha to meet with Dr. Dubois, their new potential employer.

Rylee hugged Tabitha tightly. "I promise it won't be another two years before we see each other again."

"It better not be," Tabitha laughed. "We need to visit each other soon."

Cason and Jim shook hands and pulled each other into a half embrace, since Cason was holding Jordan with his other arm. "See you later, Jim."

Jim nodded in agreement and looked at Jordan. "Bye, kid. I know you look just like your dad, but maybe you'll get some of your mothers common sense instead."

Cason laughed. "Let's hope so. I don't think I can raise a kid that turns out just like me."

Tabitha smiled and waved goodbye to Jordan. "Bye-Bye, Jordan! Don't grow up too fast."

Jim wound his arm around Tabitha's waist as they watched their friends board the ship. As it finally cast off and began to sail away, he turned to look at her.

"So," he began. "Off to meet with Dr. Dubois?"

She smiled. "We have one quick stop to make first."

"We do? Where?"

She grinned and pulled him down the street aways, finally turning into an office building. Jim didn't have time to catch the name of it, but as soon as he entered and saw everyone in their uniforms, he figured out it was something to do with the Interstellar Academy and/or the local military forces.

"Where are we? What are we doing here?" he questioned Tabitha.

She shushed him and approached the counter that stood in front of them. A woman who looked somewhat human, besides the fact she was blue, slightly scaly, and appeared to have antennas instead of ears, peered over the edge of her glasses at the couple.

"Can I help you?" she asked in a startlingly deep voice.

"We're here to see Commodore Anthony Aldamae," Tabitha answered.

"Commodore Aldamae?" Jim repeated. "Why do we need to - ow!"

A sharp jab to the ribs from his wife shushed him long enough for them to get the directions to Commodore Aldamae's office - third floor, take a right, fourth door on the left. Tabitha thanked the woman and grabbed Jim's hand, pulling him towards the stairs.

"Am I allowed to ask you what we're doing here yet?" Jim asked impatiently.

Tabitha giggled. "It's a surprise. You'll see."

"What kind of surprise?"

"A... surprising surprise."

Jim stopped walking up the staircase and glared at her. Tabitha laughed and stepped down the two steps towards him before grabbing his hand and pulling him up. "Just come on."

Jim relented and allowed himself to be dragged up the next two flights of steps and down the hallway to the door that read "Commodore Anthony Aldamae" in bold, black writing. Tabitha knocked and was greeted with a cheery, "Come in!"

"Hello, sir," she smiled as they entered the room.

The commodore stood up from his spot behind his desk and grinned at the couple. "Tabitha! Jim! How are you?"

"We're fine," Jim answered, his confusion about why they were here coming out in his voice.

Commodore Aldamae raised an eyebrow at Jim, then looked at Tabitha. "I take it you didn't tell him why he's here." She shook her head and he laughed. "Well, Mr. Hawkins, let's get down to it. I'm sure you're well aware of your current placement among the ranks?"

Jim glanced around, looking slightly confused. "Well, um... I'm a Novice Captain, if that's what you mean - "

"Yes, of course! And I'm sure you're also aware of how you move up from that title they presented you with upon your graduation at the Interstellar Academy to a more becoming sort of title."

"Uh, well, you have to serve the equivalent of one year in space as a Captain aboard your own ship, and then you move up to... just being a regular Captain, like Amelia."

"Right you are!"

There was a slight pause while Tabitha and Commodore Aldamae waited for Jim to put two and two together, but he seemed to be lagging behind a bit.

"Wait... No. No, I can't be... I-I haven't... Have I?" he stammered.

Tabitha rolled her eyes. "Jim, sweetheart, you know I love you, but you're not the brightest star in the Etherium sometimes."

Jim's shock let Tabitha get away with the insult. "But it usually takes years to move up!"

"It has taken you years."

"Only three! They told us it would take at least five!"

"Well, you must be lucky then," Commodore Aldamae chuckled as he walked back around his desk and reached for a box on the floor. Lifting it up, he sat it on the desk and opened it, extracting the blue jacket that was Jim's.

"Surprise," Tabitha smiled.

"A year? Really?" Jim asked, still frozen in shock. "How?"

"I suppose your fame helped you quite a bit. Normally, financiers aren't so willing to hire Novice Captains, but if that Novice Captain is named Hawkins and just happened to be the boy that discovered Flint's Trove..." He laughed. "Well, that changes things. Also, from what I've heard, you two spent quite a bit of time in space. A lot of short voyages, but all back to back - it adds up."

Jim looked shocked. "Whoa..." He grabbed the jacket from the commodore and held it in front of him, surveying it in awe.

"Put it on," Tabitha urged.

Quickly pulling off the white jacket he'd had for the past few years, he changed into the royal blue coat. "Whoa," he repeated as he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the window behind Commodore Aldamae's desk. He adjusted it slightly, pulling on the collar and the sleeves, then grinned and turned to Tabitha. "How do I look?"

"As handsome as ever," she smiled and quickly kissed his cheek. "Congratulations, Jim."

"Yes, congratulations," the commodore said as he reached out and shook his hand. "I'm sure everyone back at the inn will be thrilled."

"Speaking of the inn, you should stop by for dinner sometime," Tabitha said. "Other than my birthday, we haven't seen you in a while, and we're actually planning a trip with Silver that you'll need to be there for."

Commodore Aldamae chuckled. "Ah, I see. Well, as it happens, I'm free tonight."

"Perfect. Well... Sorry we can't stay. We've got a meeting with someone who wants to hire us."

"Oh, yes, of course. I've got work here to finish up as well," he gestured to the piles of paperwork on his desk. "Best of luck with your meeting."

"Thanks. Jim - " Tabitha broke off into a laugh as she realized Jim was still gawking at his reflection. "Jim, come on!"

"Huh? What?" he turned back to her. "Oh! Right, let's go."

* * *

When they climbed out of the hovercab a little while later at the address Dr. Dubois had given them, Jim still hadn't gotten used to the new coat. He pulled on the sleeves, tugged at the collar, brushed his hands down the front to smooth out imaginary wrinkles. When Tabitha caught him surveying the way it looked in the window of the cab, she rolled her eyes.

"Stop checking yourself out," she ordered as she turned him around, straightening the jacket from her perspective. "There. You look fine. Now stop acting like a child fidgeting in his dress clothes and relax."

Jim raised an eyebrow amusedly at her. "Yes, ma'am."

Tabitha scowled at him, then grabbed his hand and turned to face the house... or mansion, as it were.

"Whoa," Jim said under his breath as they began to make their way up the cobblestone path. "I think it's safe to say if we take this job, we're going to get paid pretty well."

"Yeah," Tabitha mumbled.

As they made their way up the steep set of steps leading to the house, the front door swung open, and an older gentleman swung open the door and greeted them.

"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins! Or Captain and Doctor Hawkins, as you probably prefer to be addressed by future employers - or people who are hoping to be your future employers, as it were. I've been looking forward to seeing you again. Please, come in!" With that, he turned and headed back inside, leaving the front door open for them.

"Again?" Jim repeated confusedly. "We've met him before?"

"Apparently," Tabitha whispered back as they entered. "I mean, he looks a little familiar - "

"Not to me."

"But - Where did he go?"

"Down the hall, first right after you pass the staircase," a voice echoed through the entryway. "Feel free to hang up your coats, if you'd like."

Tabitha shed her peacoat and hung it on a nearby coatrack, stuffing her gloves in the pockets. Jim opted to keep his coat on, still reveling in the feeling of finally getting to wear it. When she turned back around, Jim's brow was furrowed, and his eyes were quickly darting around the nearby rooms he could see into - a den and a dining room.

"What is it?" Tabitha asked quietly.

"Nothing. I'm just trying to figure out where we've seen him before..."

"Maybe we should just ask," she said as they followed Dr. Dubois's directions to where he was.

Jim shrugged as they turned into the room - a library with shelves of books lining every wall. The entire room seemed to look a bit haphazard - books were falling over on their shelves, some had an array of papers sticking out, a large pile of notebooks was teetering on a desk, a few overstuffed recliners were positioned randomly about the room. It was very clear why Dr. Dubois was such good friends with Dr. Doppler.

"I hope you don't mind the mess." Tabitha and Jim jerked around to find Dr. Dubois standing in a back corner, glasses perched on the end of his nose as he held a large book in one hand and flipped through the pages with the other. "I meant to clean up, but... well, I didn't."

Tabitha laughed politely. "It doesn't bother us."

"Marvelous!" the doctor smiled as he looked back up at them. "Well, I guess we'll - Oh, good heavens! My apologies. Give me just a moment."

In the next minute, Dr. Dubois rearranged four armchairs to face each other.

"Um... would you like some help?" Jim offered.

"Oh, no. It's fine. It's the least I can do for making you put up with such a mess..." Dr. Dubois surveyed a table covered with papers and books before finally shrugging and raking it all off onto the ground. He pushed it between the chairs so that there were two on opposite sides, then placed the book he'd been flipping through before in the middle, as well as a notebook and a a pen. "There. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"It's no problem, but you didn't have to do that," Tabitha said gesturing to the heap of assorted items that he'd raked into the floor moments earlier. "I mean, your papers..."

"Oh, that. Don't make a fuss. I've been needing to reorganize that junk anyway," he smiled and they took their seats, Jim and Tabitha on one side, Dr. Dubois on the opposite. "Now then, we - You still don't remember where you know me from, do you?"

Jim hadn't realized he'd been scrutinizing the older man until that moment. He started slightly at being caught and began to apologize. "Oh, sorry, sir. It's just that you said you'd been looking forward to seeing us 'again,' and... Tabitha thought you looked kind of familiar, but..."

"Any ideas?" Dr. Dubois smirked.

Jim looked to Tabitha, who shook her head, then sighed. "No. I'm sorry, I - "

Dr. Dubois laughed and shook his head, holding up a hand to stop him. "I'm not surprised you don't remember. It was a brief meeting we had last time." Tabitha and Jim glanced at each other, then back at the doctor. "Still don't remember? Well, the two of you were in an awfully big hurry, it seemed. Urgent business to attend to, I'm sure," he winked.

Jim scanned the man from head to toe, racking his brain for an answer. Dr. Dubois was a old enough to be his grandfather, if not great-grandfather, it seemed. He was fairly plump, his vest straining to stay buttoned across his stomach. His long sleeve shirt was had the first two buttons undone, and the sleeves pushed back to his elbows. He was clearly a gentleman, but also very eccentric. Just as Jim opened his mouth to admit he couldn't place where he knew him from, Tabitha let out a loud gasp, her hand flying to her mouth as her face flushed to a dark scarlet.

"What?" Jim inquired, glancing back and forth from his wife to Dr. Dubois. "What is it?"

"Well, it seems your young wife remembers the night, Mr. Hawkins," the man chuckled.

Jim looked to Tabitha for an answer. "Our honeymoon," she mumbled quietly. "The night we went swimming, and we were headed back to the room..."

Jim's eyes widened as he remembered - they'd been running through the halls of the cruise ship, they turned a corner and ran smack into -

"Please don't be embarrassed," Dr. Dubois interrupted Jim's flashback. "I found it quite amusing how smitten you two were with each other. But it was your honeymoon as well? Then I certainly can't blame you for being eager to get back to your room."

Jim thought me might have been blushing too by this point, but he gulped back his embarrassment and tried to stay professional. "Sir - Dr. Dubois - W-We - "

"Please don't attempt to apologize or even think for a second that you made a bad first impression. Like I said, I thought it was amusing. In fact, that little run in is what helped me find you two. When I last dined with Delbert Doppler, I noticed a picture of the two of you. After racking my brain for a little while - much like you just did - I realized where I knew you from. I asked about you, he told me how the two of you were spacers, and... well, here we are now," he explained. "Besides, I'd be lying through my teeth if I said I didn't recognize that spark the two of you have. I'm reminded of my wife and I when we were your age."

"What reminds you of us, dear?"

The three looked up to see a remarkably tall woman enter the room carrying a tray with four steaming mugs on it. As she got closer in the dimly lit room, it was clear that, while having the same characteristics as a human female have, she was tall enough that Jim, who stood around six feet, was having to look up at her, and her hair and skin were both tinted a pale shade of blue. Other than those peculiar details, she seemed as human as the other three.

The men at the table stood up as she approached. "Hello, dear," the doctor smiled at his wife. "Allow me to introduce my wife, Sicilia. Sicilia, this is Jim and Tabitha Hawkins, the two I was telling you about."

"Ah, yes. The captain and the doctor of our voyage, correct?" she asked.

"Well, if all goes well today, then yes, they should be."

"Hmm," she hummed contemplatively as she placed the tray down on the table. "Now what was it you were saying about being reminded of us when we were their age?"

Dr. Dubois chuckled and pulled her chair out for her. "Just the glimmer of young love these two have about them," he explained as she took her seat, and he and Jim followed. "You remember what I told you about them running into me in the hallway? Back on that cruise we took together?"

"Yes..." she answered a bit warily.

"Well, I've only just discovered that was their honeymoon," he chuckled. "I told them I couldn't blame them for being in a hurry. After all, it wasn't all that long ago we were possessed by the same enthusiasm they were."

A shy smile inched across her face at precisely the same time her entire body switched from light blue to magenta. It happened so quickly that Jim and Tabitha both started in surprise, glancing at each other for verification they hadn't hallucinated the whole thing. Apparently, their reactions went unnoticed by the Dubois couple.

"So," Dr. Dubois began casually. "Where were we?"

"Um... We hadn't actually started yet, sir," Tabitha answered.

"Oh! Of course! Well - " Dr. Dubois situated himself in his armchair. "Perhaps it's best to start with some background about me. In my younger days, I was a bit of an explorer. I was the man people hired when a new planet or galaxy was discovered and they needed someone to chart it. Of course, back then, Montressor was at the Edge of the Etherium - everything past it was uncharted. Now, as any good spacer knows, the Edge is a constantly changing border of the 'necessary Etherium' verses the 'dispensable Etherium.' As the populations of older planets and galaxies move and die out, those become a part of the dispensable area, while areas that are new and thriving become a part of the necessary area."

"Since Montressor now sits closer to the middle of the neccessary Etherium, you don't find many people hiring explorers here anymore. I, of course, could have moved with the Edge like most in my profession did, continued to be an explorer for the rest of my days, but by the time my job became superfluous for this area, I was already married and expecting a child, so I went to school and got my doctorate so I could stay with them," Dr. Dubois explained with a smile and a glance towards his wife, who grinned and took his hand in hers. "Now, though... Now our children are off with families of their own, and my wife and I are a free to do as we please. So, after much discussion, we've decided we like to go back to exploring, just like in my younger years. That's where you two come in."

"So... You want us to take you past the Edge?" Jim questioned.

"Well, not exactly. Look - " He flipped open a large book on the table, folding it open to a map. "This is the most recent map of our Etherium that I could find, and it's nearly six months old, so I'm sure it isn't entirely accurate, but it will do. See, we're here - " he pointed to a small dot on the map. " - at the border of the this galaxy. We'd have to travel through... between two and five other galaxies to reach the Edge, none of which my wife and I have seen."

"You want us to lead you on voyage to let you explore those galaxies?" Tabitha guessed.

"Bingo," Dr. Dubois smiled. "You two lead us through these galaxies, let us explore - think of it as us taking an extensive vacation."

Jim surveyed the map with a furrowed brow, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"What are you thinking?" Tabitha asked curiously.

Dr. Dubois glanced back and forth between the two young adults and added, "We only want you to take us as far as your comfortable. I'm well aware that you have family here, so if you're only comfortable traveling short distances, you can take us halfway through our neighboring galaxy, drop us off somewhere, and we'll find our way - "

"No, that shouldn't be a problem," Jim interrupted. "Just let me make sure I understand everything: You want to hire us to lead you through the nearby galaxies, stopping at any planets that spark your interests, until we reach the Edge. From there..."

"From there, it's up to you what you'd like to do. If you stick around long enough for us all to reach the edge, I'm sure a lot of time will have passed and you may just want to return home. If so, we'll find someone else to take us beyond the Edge. We may not be as young as we once were, but everyone has a price; I'm sure with enough money, someone will an old pair like us join their voyage. But, if you do not wish to go home, you are of course free to continue on and explore past the Edge. With a captain, a doctor, and a ship as a set, I'm sure someone out there would be more than willing to hire you to explore, and we would love to join you."

Jim's eyebrows were raised in surprise by the time Dr. Dubois has finished his explanation. He glanced at Tabitha who looked just as shocked as he did.

"It must sound crazy," Sicilia suddenly chimed in. "For the two of us to want to go to exploring in our age, but it was always a love of his, and any love of his is a love of mine."

"It doesn't sound crazy at all," Jim laughed. "It's just that... Well, Tabitha and I have kind of been waiting for an opportunity like this. We've always kind of been adventurers, but like you said, it's hard to find anyone to hire you to go on anything even close to an adventure when you live on Montressor. This is..."

"Better than anything we could have imagined," Tabitha finished happily.

Dr. Dubois laughed in shock. "Well, that's wonderful! Does that mean you accept?"

"I don't see any reason why not," Jim chuckled.

"This is such good news!" Sicilia grinned. "We were afraid you'd turn us down like the others."

"No, it sounds amazing!" Tabitha grinned.

The excitement continued on through their conversation where Jim gave the obligatory warning of the dangers of spacing, to which Dr. Dubois politely explained he was well aware of. Then there was the discussion of payment, where Dr. Dubois offered an amount large enough for him to buy a ship and hire a crew of his own, which Jim graciously pointed out. After some arguing back and forth about how that price would cover the supplies they would need to buy, salaries for themselves and the crew, their time for the next few months they would spend planning and organizing, plus the first three months they would send in space, Jim and Tabitha agreed, albeit still a bit reluctantly. A cab was called, a follow up meeting was scheduled for the end of January, and they all ended on a note of joy, amazement, and excitement. As they all said their profuse 'thank you's Tabitha once again noticed Sicilia's skin change from the blue it had settled back to after the pink incident to a shimmery green color. Apparently, her shock didn't go unnoticed this time.

"I noticed you staring," Sicilia stated.

This time, Tabitha was the one to change colors as her cheeks flushed to an embarrassed pink. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I wasn't trying to be rude. I just noticed... well, your skin. I-I've never seen anything like it."

Sicilia smiled. "It is not rude. My mother was a colos-humanoid."

"A... I'm sorry, what?" Jim questioned.

"Basically, she had the ability to change colors," Tabitha explained briefly.

"Yes," Sicilia nodded. "But my father was a regular human like yourselves and my husband. I inherited her skill to shift my color, but it's not within my control. It shifted earlier when my husband embarrassed me, and again just now because I'm so thrilled you've agreed to except our offer."

"That's amazing..." Tabitha whispered in awe. "I learned about colos-humanoids in one of my medical classes at the academy, but they're so rare nowadays... It's so interesting to see up close."

"Yeah, that's... pretty cool," Jim chuckled.

"Yes, I've always thought it was 'pretty cool' as well," Dr. Dubois chuckled. "Especially since I seem to have more control over it than her. For example - " He gently grabbed her hand and bowed to place a kiss on the back of it. "Sicilia, my love, you're looking absolutely radiant this afternoon."

Her eyes narrowed as she coyly pulled her hand from his grasp. "You will have to do better than that. I am not quite so easily swayed as I once was."

The sentence had barely passed her lips when Dr. Dubois spun her to him, giving her a kiss that sent her skin cells into a frenzy of purple and pink blends that didn't settle until he released her.

"Oh... dear, I - " she stammered breathily for a moment. When she finally remembered the company they had, her body instantly switched to a dark red of embarrassment and frustration. "That was hardly a proper trick to show our guests!"

"Oh, no, don't worry. I thought it was sweet," Tabitha smiled as the older couple turned to look at her curiously. "It's just like me and Jim."

Sicilia quickly softened, her skin softening to a more relaxed purple color, causing the four of them to laugh lightly as they said their goodbyes. Jim and Tabitha made their way down the front sidewalk, their hands laced together, squeezing excitedly. When they reached the road, they turned around to make sure they were alone, only to see Dr. Dubois lean over and whisper something into his wife's ear. Even from there, they could see her skin warm to a bright red as he kissed her and led her back into the house. As the door shut, Jim and Tabitha turned to look at each other.

"We've got a job," Tabitha began, failing to hold back an outrageous grin.

"We're going on another adventure," Jim added with just as much enthusiasm.

"And we're getting paid to do it!"

"And the best part is - " He wrapped his arms around her waist and smirked. "We get to go together."

"We go on all our voyages together," she stated confusedly.

"Yeah, but I was just thinking about what Dr. Dubois said - about how he was an explorer, but instead of moving with the job, he fell in love and ended up staying here - and I just realized I'll never have to make a choice like that, because I fell in love with you."

Tabitha gave him a wry smile. "Well, I guess you got lucky."

"You know, I really did," he chuckled.

Tabitha gave a light laugh just as a quick honk sounded and their cab pulled up. Jim opened the door and gestured for her to slide in. She did, and Jim followed, quickly rambling off their destination of the South Passenger Landing Docks as he pulled the door shut behind them. As the cab pulled away, Jim leaned back in the seat, wrapping his arm around Tabitha's shoulders as she leaned into him with a contented sigh.

"Hey Jim?"

"Hmm?"

Tabitha reached for Jim's free, absentmindedly fiddling with his fingers. "What did you think of the the Dubois's?"

"Uh..." he began, unsure of what she meant exactly. "I thought they were nice. Not to mention they're giving us an awesome job and - "

"No, I didn't mean their personalities," she interrupted, sitting up to look at him again. "I meant... the way they were... around each other."

"Oh. Like how, er... affectionate they were?" he asked.

"Yeah... What did you think of that?"

Jim looked at her questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"Did you think it was weird?"

"Well... It's not exactly typical, you know, for a couple that age to act like..."

"Like us?" Tabitha finished.

"Yeah." As Tabitha back down to where she was still fiddling with his hand, he frowned. "Why? What are you getting at?"

Tabitha began to nervously bite her lip. "I was just thinking about... how we're going to act at that age." When Jim didn't respond, she looked up and began to ramble. "I mean, I'm not saying we should act how we do now, or we should act like they did, but, well... I don't know. I think it'd be nice if we still held hands while we walked down the street, or said 'I love you' when we leave, or even kissed each other - I mean, not... _kissed_ kissed, but - "

The rest of her explanation was cut off by the sound of Jim snickering. "_Kissed_ kissed? Really?"

She playfully shoved him. "Shut up. You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do," he laughed. "And we don't _kiss kiss_ in public now."

Tabitha blushed and turned away again, feeling foolish and almost certain she'd lost the point she was trying to make. This was disproven when Jim grabbed her hand and she reluctantly looked up at him.

"Look, Tabitha... I can't imagine not wanting to hold your hand, or forgetting to say 'I love you', or something like that, but I'm sure we'll naturally tone it down some when as time goes on." Her brow furrowed at his answer, unsure of whether she liked it or not. Before she could think about it too much, Jim pushed her hair behind her ear, and leaned down to whisper. "But I promise that, behind closed doors, I will always love you with as much passion as I do now."

A fierce blush spread across Tabitha's face as she spared a glance at their driver to make sure he hadn't overheard. "That was awfully romantic of you, Mr. Hawkins," she mumbled embarrassedly.

Jim shrugged and settled into his seat. "I haven't gotten over this morning. I only said it to seduce you," he smugly informed her as he tilted his head back and closed his eyes, planning to rest for the remainder of the drive.

Though Jim couldn't see her, he could picture the way her eyes narrowed and mouth formed into a half smile. "No, you didn't," she contradicted.

The way Jim smirked was the only confirmation she needed, and she quickly settled against his side to rest a bit as well.

* * *

"Ta-da!" Tabitha called out as she entered the kitchen door of that Benbow that night, stepping to the side and gesturing to Jim as he stepped into frame.

"Jimbo, lad!" Silver laughed in awe. "What in blue blazes are ya wearin'?"

"I am no longer a Novice Captain," he stated formally. "I have officially moved up."

Sarah entered the kitchen carrying a tray of dirty dishes. "Oh, I didn't realize you two were back yet!"

"We just got here," Tabitha explained.

"Mom! Look!" Jim called out, like a young boy eager to show off something new.

Sarah raised an eyebrow. "What am I supposed to be looking at?"

Jim looked horrified for a second, glancing down to make sure the jacket hadn't disappeared. "Don't you notice anything different?"

"Oh, you got a new coat. That's wonderful, Jim," she flippantly remarked.

Jim's jaw dropped. "But..."

Tabitha laughed. "She already knew about it."

"Tabitha asked me if I thought you'd like to be surprised by it," Sarah smiled as she walked over to her son. "I said yes, and I can tell I was right."

Jim laughed appreciatively, brushing his hands down the front of it again.

"I'm almost finished up with the last of the guests. Graham and Abigail are talking to Anthony about the trip you're planning to Ciaran. Why don't you go get bring them in here and we can all discuss your new role of captaincy and these voyages you're planning while we eat dinner?"

"Sounds great," Jim agreed.

Sarah smiled and shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe it... You look like you were made to wear that uniform."

"It really does suit ya, lad," Silver agreed.

"You do look great," Tabitha added with a smile. Jim turned his attention to her and smirked. "What?" she asked bemusedly.

"Nothing," he answered with a slight shrug, but as the adults went back to working on their various jobs, Jim leaned over and whispered in her ear, "I just remembered you've mentioned before that I look even better with the coat off."

Tabitha turned to look at him, but before she could think of anything coy or smart aleck to say in return, he softly traced a finger down her lower back in the way that made her gasp and arch forward. Silver looked up at the two just in time to see Tabitha's face flush, scowling at Jim's retreating form as he left the room

"Ya alright, lass?" he inquired.

Tabitha's face warmed to a darker shade of pink as she hastily nodded in reply. Morph zipped in from nowhere and greeted her with cheerful coos, and she was thankful to have something to take her attention away from the knowing smirk Silver was giving her.

* * *

It didn't take long to explain about the voyage they were planning with Dr. Dubois since they hadn't set any definite dates or plans for it yet. Graham was excited to be asked to join them as Jim's First Mate, and while the parents and Commodore Aldamae were happy for them too, they admitted they were going to miss the young couple being away for so long. Deciding to stick to the good news aspects for now, Jim reveled in explaining how he'd moved up and earned his new rank. There were plenty of congratulations from the adults and a fair amount of teasing from Graham. As dinner finished up, Sarah admitted to being tired and decided to go to bed before the trip to Ciaran was discussed.

"Hate t' admit it," Silver began once Sarah had gone. "But it might be for t'e best she ain't in here."

"Why is that?" Tabitha asked, turning her attention away from playing with Morph for a moment.

"T'is ain't exactly a safe planet we're fixin' t' travel to. I'm not sayin' she shouldn't know it's dangerous, but I t'ink it'd be best to keep her concerns to a minimum."

"Agreed," said Jim.

"Alright, so when can we leave?" Graham asked eagerly. "The sooner the better, in my opinion."

"Well, we've got to allow time to get a crew, and - " Jim began.

"Uh, Jimbo, it might be best t' keep t'e crew of t'is trip to a minimum," Silver interrupted. "Less people, less chance o' someone gettin' hurt or strayin' into t'ings t'ey shouldn't."

"Well, if we've got me and Jim, Graham, you, Abigail, and Commodore Aldamae - oh, and Morph of course," Tabitha added when she noticed the pink blob looking at her hopefully. Morph squeaked in joy and licked her face as she continued. "I think we can handle it. How long is the trip?"

"It ain't too far away, bout three weeks travel time t' get t'ere an' back," Silver explained.

"Well if we don't have to worry about a crew... when can we leave?" Graham asked again.

"Silver has to turn in the paperwork that says he's leaving the planet," Commodore Aldamae began. "But with my help, I can get that approved in under a week. Other than that, we're just working around your schedule, Jim."

"Is there anyway we could do this before our next meeting with Dr. Dubois?" Tabitha asked Jim. "After that, I think we're going to be too busy to take a voyage that's at least a month long."

"Yeah..." Jim agreed. "Well... If you can get those papers through in under a week Commodore, and we don't have to hire a crew, then I think we can probably be ready to leave by the first week of December."

"That puts ya travelin' on Christmas," Silver pointed out. "Not sure Sarah's gonna like t'at."

"And your anniversary is January first," Abigail added. "We'll probably still be away then."

"I think my mom will be okay with the Christmas thing, since we're taking this trip to check up on Vanessa, and there really isn't another time we could do it," Jim stated. "And as far as our anniversary... I don't mind if we're in space on it. Do you care, Tabitha?"

Tabitha shrugged. "I don't mind. As long as we're together, I don't really care where we are."

Graham groaned. "As first mate, I object to that."

"Object to that!" Morph repeated, taking a seat on Graham's shoulder.

"What?" Jim asked, debating whether to be offended.

"Look, we all know how affectionate you two are around each other on a daily basis. I don't even want to know what you two are like on your anniversary, and I'm certain that none of us are going to want to be around you when you two are that enamored with each other."

Tabitha blushed, but glared at him. "Well then we'll keep to ourselves that day, if you're so bothered by it."

"Alright then - January first, I say you two stay behind closed doors the whole day," Graham quipped. "I'm sure Jim won't mind that at all. Will you, Jim?"

"That sounds fine to me," Jim said, lifting his glass of purp juice to his lips in a failed attempt to hide a smug grin. Tabitha elbowed him and he laughed. "What? I didn't say anything." Tabitha rolled her eyes in exasperation.

Commodore Aldamae chuckled. "Well... I guess that settles it. I'll get the papers and bring them by tomorrow."

The group said their goodbyes as the commodore departed and the rest of them began to make their way to bed.

"Uh, Abby?" Silver spoke up quietly. "Can I talk t' ya for a minute?"

"Of course..." she agreed a bit hesitantly.

As the two of them headed off to the den, Jim turned to Tabitha. "You ready to head home?"

"Um, yeah, just let me run to the washroom real quick," she stated as she turned and left the room as well, leaving Jim and Graham alone.

Jim didn't realize he was lost in thought, staring at the door Tabitha has just walked out of, a slight smirk across his lips, until he felt the piercing gaze of someone staring at him. Turning around, he found Graham giving him a look of incredulousness.

"What?" Jim asked.

"You two are ridiculous," Graham stated with a laugh.

"What? How?"

His friend raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "What, do you think you're being secretive? Because honestly, the look on your face just then was so clear I bet Morph could have guessed what you were thinking about."

Morph squeaked an affirmative as he popped up in between the two men, shapeshifting into a picture of Jim dipping Tabitha into a kiss, just like he'd done at their wedding. Jim swatted at the blob. "Stop that. And you're just jealous," he told Graham as he walked over to place the leftover dishes in the sink.

As Morph flitted out of the room, Graham scoffed. "Jealous? James P. Hawkins, if you think I am jealous of your monogamous relationship, then we are not as good of friends as I thought."

"You know, no matter how much you say you're against marriage, you have to admit it has its advantages."

"Mhmm, I can tell," Graham agreed with a smirk.

Jim arched an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

His friend chuckled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "To put it bluntly, the sexual tension now compared to how it was the year leading up to your wedding is exponentially lower." Jim scowled, and Graham laughed. "What? I'm just saying it's pretty obvious you two are enjoying yourselves."

Jim thought his face must have been flushed by this point, but he ignored it. "Yeah, well... just don't tell anything like that to her. She'll get embarrassed if she knows - Wait, that isn't even what I meant! I was talking about how marriage - "

"Oh, no," Graham warned. "Don't you dare start giving me lectures on marriage like my mother. I get it - it's important and wonderful and blah-blah-blah - and it works out great for people like you and Tabitha... but the whole 'settling down' thing is just not for me, Jim."

Jim was quiet for a second, then he laughed. "Your mom started bugging you to get married?"

"Why do you think I've been practically living at the Benbow for the past couple of months?" Graham answered his question with a question. "I needed to get away from the many dates my mom was trying to set me up on, and I know your mom always needs all the help she can get around here."

"Graham Emerson, refusing dates?" Jim mocked. "I don't believe it."

"Yeah, I didn't either... but you should've seen these chicks, Jim! _Way_ too innocent for my liking," Graham explained smugly. "I'd be way too much man for one of them to handle."

"Too much of an arrogant bastard for one of them to handle, maybe," Jim taunted as they made their way into the den, where Silver and Abigail were sitting on one of the couches together.

Graham shoved him. "Shut the hell up, Hawkins. Don't you have a wife to be sleeping with or something?"

Jim chuckled as Graham headed upstairs to bed, leaving Jim alone with Silver and Abigail, who were seemingly too involved in their own discussion to notice he was there.

"But, John, I - "

"I know ya want t' come, Abby, but I dunno if t'at's t'e best idea."

Jim tried not to eavesdrop on the conversation, but being alone in a room with them made it kind of hard. He was about to return to the kitchen to give them some privacy when Abigail solved the problem for him.

"We'll talk about this later, John," she said sharply as she stood up and marched upstairs.

Jim's eyes darted to Silver, who sighed heavily and stood up. "Uh..." Jim began. "Sorry about that. I was about to leave when - "

"Nah, it ain't yer fault, lad," Silver told him.

"Oh... Uh, so what was that about anyway?"

Silver sighed. "I was tryin' t' explain t' her why I don't think she should come wit' us t' Ciaran."

Jim's eyes widened in surprise. "You don't think she should come? Why?"

"It ain't a safe planet, lad," Silver repeated his statement from earlier. "Ciaran's known fer harborin' all sorts o' bad kinds. No law enforcement, no government, no rules. T'ere's nothin' ya can't get away with on t'at planet, and there's nobody to stop anything bad from happenin'."

Jim's brow furrowed in thought. "But... if you were there with her, couldn't you protect her?"

"T'at's exactly what she t'inks," he said. "But I don't want t' spend t'e whole trip worried t'at somethin' might happen t' her. A gal like her... let's jus' say Ciarain ain't a planet any sorta respectable lady should be on."

"Wait, but Tabitha..." Jim trailed off thoughtfully.

Silver sighed and rubbed the back of his neck regretfully. "I hate t' say it, Jimbo, but... ya might wanna ret'ink lettin' Tabby come."

"_Letting_ her come? But she's the ships doctor, and my wife, and - "

"And t'at's exactly why I'm tellin' ya t'is. I know ya don't want t' spend t'e whole trip worried about her, just like I don't wanna spend t'e whole trip worried 'bout Abby." Jim didn't look very pleased with where this was going, but Silver continued. "Jimbo, you an' I both know Tabby's a strong lass, but... well, ya remember what happened t' her in t'at alley on Lacuna."

Jim's chest tightened. Of course he remembered. He remembered all too well the feeling of dread that coursed through him when he couldn't find her, the way his heart dropped as he watched Silver carry her seemingly lifeless body on board, the three days he spent at her bedside... He'd thought for sure that would be the death of him. How could he ever go through something like that again?

"Morph!" Tabitha came bounding into the den from the hallway, laughing hysterically as she chased after the protoplasmic blob that was playing keep away with her coat. "Morph, give it here!"

"Give it here!" Morph repeated, zooming around the kitchen some more.

As Morph zipped past Jim, Silver reached out and grabbed the coat. "Morphy, quit being a pest," he chuckled as he handed Tabitha her coat. "T'ere ya go, lass."

"Thanks." She pulled it on and turned to Jim, lacing her fingers through his. "Sorry that took a little while. I had to chase that blob around the whole inn. You ready?"

Jim opened his mouth and glanced at Silver. "Uh..."

Silver smiled, albeit a bit sadly. "We'll talk more later, lad."

* * *

Tabitha sighed contentedly as they entered their home late that night and hung up their coats. "Home at last."

Jim was so lost in thought he barely caught the suggestive look she was giving him. He knew he had plenty of thinking and debating to do about this trip to Ciaran, but when she gave him looks like that, how in the stars was he supposed to focus on anything but her? He had a brief, flickering thought about the baby situation, but it was quickly dispelled; after all, she'd been the one to initiate it this morning, and they'd clearly both been looking forward to it all day. How could he turn her down now? Not to mention, the day had proven very successful, and they had the house to themselves once again... Wasn't that enough reasons to give in?

As she smirked and flounced off to the kitchen, he sighed heavily, opting to worry about the dangers of the trip to Ciaran later since he was now unable to keep a smile off his face. He followed her, leaning in the doorway as he watched her. She grabbed a carton from the icebox, a cup from the cabinet, and poured herself a glass of juice. She leaned against the counter and slowly took a sip, finally glancing up at Jim curiously.

"What?" she questioned.

He arched an eyebrow at her and laughed. "You know what."

She shook her head confusedly. "What do you mean?"

For a split second, Jim was actually as puzzled as she looked, but her eyes gave away just enough for him to know this was a game. He smirked, slowly making his way across the kitchen as she continued to drink her glass of juice. When he was right in front of her, she once again looked confused.

"What?" she repeated adamantly, raising the cup to her lips to hide a smile.

Without a word, Jim reached up and moved the now empty cup away, setting it down in the sink to be washed later. He looked down and met Tabitha's gaze, leaning into kiss her -

"You know," she began, turning her head slightly and placing a soft hand to his chest to stop him. "I'm actually pretty tired. We've had a long day, and - AH!" Tabitha squealed as Jim suddenly lifted her up and threw her over his shoulder, laughing hysterically. "James Pleiades Hawkins! You put me down this instant!"

Jim did what she asked, but not until he'd carried her into the bedroom. Then, he pulled her back down, carefully laying her out across the bed.

"Oh, well wasn't that romantic?" she said sarcastically. "Carrying your wife to the bedroom like a sack of flour. I'm charmed."

"Just hush," he ordered in a low chuckle. "I'll make it up to you..."

* * *

_A short, quick scream... but it was distant, echoing through the darkness around him, impossible to tell where it was coming from. He froze, tensed and ready for anything..._

_"No! Please!"_

_It was clearly Tabitha shouting. He took off running, somehow ending up on a street lined with shady buildings that were vaguely familiar._

_"No, please... Jim!"_

_"Tabitha?" he called out, searching for any sign of her... but there was nothing. Nothing to see, nothing to hear. Where was she? Where was he?_

_"Jim!"_

_The scream was closer this time, and as he turned a corner he finally saw her, pinned against the wall by a man twice her size. Jim took in everything about the scene at once - the way she had her face turned away from her captor, the way she appeared to be choking back tears, the way he was laughing, the way his hands were roaming across her, finding their way under her clothes..._

_"Tabitha!" he managed to shout._

_She didn't respond. She couldn't hear him..._

_"Tabitha!" he shouted, his throat burning as he called louder for her. "Tabitha!"_

_Finally, the man holding her looked to Jim, an evil smirk spreading across his face. He backed away, dropping Tabitha so that she collapsed to the ground like a ragdoll._

_"No, stop!" Jim tried again. "Tabitha!"_

_Why couldn't he move? He had to stop him. What was he going to do to her?_

_The man had a gun... pointed at her..._

_"NO! Tabitha!"_

_Things slowed down..._

_The man made eye contact with Jim, then looked back at Tabitha... Tabitha was still in a heap on the ground, refusing to look up... __Why wasn't he moving? Why wasn't he stopping him? His vision was fading around the edges... H____e was moving but he couldn't get closer... He had to get there. He had to..._

_The gun fired at the same time he shouted her name in a last desperate attempt. "Tabitha - "_

"NO!"

Jim awoke bolt upright in bed, his pulse pounding a mile a minute, the sheets tangled around him, and his entire body hot with sweat.

"Jim?"

He jerked around at the sound of her voice to see her sitting beside him, her concerned gaze fixed on him as her hand gently rubbed his back.

"Jim, honey? What is it?" she asked worriedly. "You kept saying my name, and you were kicking at the covers - "

Tabitha's anxious questions were cut short when Jim threw his arms around her and pulled her to him tightly, holding her there securely as he broke down into quiet sobs.

"Jim - " she repeated, freeing her arms so she could return the embrace. "What happened? Was it a nightmare?"

"I'm so sorry, Tabitha," he choked out, clenching his eyes shut as he tightened his grasp on her. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."

"Shh... It's alright. It's okay..." she soothed, her hand rubbing his back in a slow, calming motion. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head, but continued to apologize. "I'm sorry, Tabitha. I'm - "

"Stop," she gently ordered him. "It was a dream. I'm okay, you're okay... nothing happened. It was all just a dream..."

It wasn't just a dream, not to Jim. It was real. It was based on real events, sparked by real anxiety, and he was not okay at all.

It was a few more minutes before Jim's chest shuddered in an attempt to catch his breath. Tabitha carefully pulled away to look at him, her hands moving to stroke his arms in the same reassuring motions. "Do you think you can go back to sleep?"

"No," he said, adamantly shaking his head. "No, I... I-I need to get up for a little while."

"Oh... Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, I... I'm just going to get something to drink," he mumbled. "I won't be up long."

"You sure you're okay?" she asked as he climbed out of bed.

"Come on, you know what it feels like to wake up from a nightmare," he stated. "I just need to... calm down. Just go back to sleep, and I'll be back in a little while."

Tabitha looked skeptical, but as Jim leaned over and kissed her forehead, she gave in. "Okay... But get me up if you need anything. I won't mind - "

"I know," he smiled half-heartedly.

Jim waited until she'd laid back against the pillow before he left the room. He made his way over to the sink and got a glass of water, just like he'd said he would... but he didn't drink it. Instead, he sat it down and leaned back against the counter, sighing heavily as he tried to sort through his tumultuous thoughts.

That dream had been... completely terrifying, to say the least. He tried to pin it to something, a reason he would dream something that awful, and it was only a minute before he remembered the conversation he'd begun with Silver. The trip to Ciaran, and how rough a planet it was... How he didn't want anything like what happened on Lacuna to happen to Tabitha again... It had all triggered his guilt about not being there when she was attacked.

He'd started feeling anxious when Silver explained that Abby and Tabitha probably shouldn't go, but this began a whole new level of concern for Tabitha and this trip. He tensed, tried to force the thought out of his mind - after all, how likely was it that would happen twice? - but he couldn't. As much as he wanted to convince himself that something like that wouldn't happen again, the way Silver talked about it, it seemed like a real possibility if they were to travel to Ciaran. He couldn't let that happen to her again. He'd promised he wouldn't. Not only that, but he knew that having to worry about her safety and welfare as much as he did those few days she was unconscious was not something he could repeat. And if she was on Ciaran, wouldn't he be _constantly_ worried about her? But what other option was there? He couldn't just tell her she couldn't come... or could he?

Jim shook his head. This was not a debate he could play out in his head at... four in the morning, according to the clock on the wall of the kitchen. Maybe he was just overreacting from the dream. Maybe he'd wake up tomorrow and realize that everything would be fine... Or maybe he'd wake up feeling just as anxious as he did now and have to figure out a way to put his mind at ease.

He sighed, drinking the glass of water in a couple of gulps and placing it in the sink. He headed back to bed, his heartbeat still unnaturally fast, his mind refusing to drop the idea of how he needed to keep Tabitha safe.

"You okay?"

Jim glanced at her. "I told you to go back to sleep."

"Since when do I take orders from you?" she smiled.

He narrowed his gaze in mild annoyance as he climbed back under the sheets, pulling her to him. "Will you go to sleep now?"

Tabitha smiled and cozied up to his side. "Yeah... But are you - "

"Don't worry about me," he interrupted, refusing to say if he was fine or not; he couldn't tell her he wasn't, but he also couldn't lie and say he was.

She was too tired to continue questioning him, already halfway asleep before she mumbled, "Mmkay... Goodnight."

Jim's arms tightened around her, his brow furrowing as he realized this was hardly a good night, and he wouldn't be sleeping peacefully anytime soon.

* * *

**Okay, so, it was long. That's at least good, right? Can I earn back some kudos for giving you a long chapter? And I added some romance for you guys... Does that help? I'm sorry I didn't keep Cason and Rylee and Jordan around longer; I'm just trying to progress the story. I like them, though. I wish they could have stayed.**

**Moving on: You guys, I am so sorry. Like I said, I really don't even have a good excuse. I was busy with the holidays at first, but after New Years, I had hardly anything going on. I've had more than enough time to update, I just... couldn't. This chapter was almost the death of me. I have no idea why it was so difficult for me to write, but I just couldn't get it done. I AM SO SORRY.**

**Now, since I haven't talked to you guys in three months (And did I mention how sorry I am about that?), I have a few news/updates/things to tell you:**

**1. So... I may or may not have written two more lemons for this story... Yeah, I really don't have any reason. I guess I just love writing romance, and I hadn't updated in so long that it just got all backed up in my system, and BAM! Lemons. They fit the story, so if you want, I can easily add them in. I'm just kind of worried the story is going to get too smutty... But here's the thing: the sequel keeps romance to a minimum - it's really more about family - so I'm trying to get all the romance out of my system now. I realize there's been a _lot_ of the lovey-dovey stuff, and I don't want you guys to OD on it... but I'm writing this story for you, so I'm going to let you decide. If you want lemons, you got lemons. If not, that's cool too. Just let me know in a review.**

**2. I'm planning on rewriting 'Fearless'. Don't freak out! I'm going to keep the original version here, but I've been planning to upload it to DeviantArt anyway, and there are quite a few kinks and errors that came with writing as I went that I'd like to fix, so I'm planning to do some rewriting and upload the new and improved to DeviantArt at some point. Just thought you guys might want to know.**

**3. I changed the name to the sequel. Instead of 'Tell Me Why' it's now 'Back to December.' That song fits the story better.**

**4. On the last chapter, you guys told me your favorite chapters were "The Darcy's Party: Part 2", "Three Tears for Optimism", "Love Story", "Of Lust and Love". You guys like the fluffy chapters, I see. I probably could have predicted as much.**

**I think that's it... but I'm probably forgetting something because I always do. Again, I am so sorry for just disappearing on you guys for three months. That is not cool and I feel really bad about it. Honestly, I'm surprised you guys didn't mutiny on me.**

**Leave a review, please? You can complain about how I'm a failure as much as you want in it, but at least give your opinion on the lemon thing.**

**I love you guys and I'm so sorry!**

**-Emily**

**+Responses to Reviews+**

**Icecreampopstar: You almost cried? Oh noes! I didn't mean for it to be that emotional! Thank you!**

**malisa: There will be more pirate-y Silver in the future. We're just seeing more of the family side of him for now. Vanessa you will definitely be seeing more of. Haha No, I think Cason is attractive with a baby, too. xD Another story? Definitely! I'll keep writing as long as you guys stick around. Check out my profile for more information, and thank you!**

**NeverTooLate03: OHMYGODIT'SFINALLYDONETHANKTHELORD. I can't tell you how relieved I am. I just hope everyone likes it. I'm glad you liked the changes to the last chapter, and I agree - we make an awesome team. We are super-mega-foxy-awesome-hot. :D Thank you so much for being such a loyal supporter of my writing. I seriously can't tell you how much I appreciate it.**

**Horseygirl 96: I'm so glad you liked the last chapter! Thank you so much! Don't worry, you'll be finding out more about whether Jim and Tabitha can have kids very soon. :) And Yes, Jim Hawkins is undoubtably amazing. Oh, and I passed the word along to NeverTooLate03 that you said Happy Birthday. She appreciated it. :)**

**anon: Thank you so much. Your long reviews are always so interesting, and you bring up excellent points. I'm glad you liked the last chapter, and as far as any questions you have, they'll be answered soon! :) Thank you!**

**23jk: Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it, and I passed the word on to NeverTooLate03 that you gave her some cake. xD She said thanks.**

**ADangerousPastime: YOU'RE a procrastinator? Girl, don't even worry. Did you see how long it took me to update? Good grief. xD Graham is a pessimist, but I don't think he's going to stay that way forever... ;) I'm so glad you're looking forward to the sequel! I have the feeling it's going to be great. I've already started writing it, and I love it, so I can't wait to let you guys read it! Thank you! :D**

**EventHorizon6: Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked it. I knew the chapter was emotional, but I didn't mean to make you guys cry! I'm sorry!**

**SweetAngel183: Well, I'm very sorry, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait just a bit longer for the kid issue to be resolved. And I'm not going to say anything specific, but you're pretty much spot on with a couple of those ideas you had. You'll just have to keep reading to find out which ones. ;) Thank you!**

**Tsukasa-kun: Thanks! I know it's sad right now, but things get better soon. :) Oh, and Happy (extremely belated) Christmas!**

**Kristy: I'm sorry it took forever to update! I hope you like it, though.**

**JuniperinIvy: New S/N? I like it! :) Don't worry about not reviewing. If I can't update regularly, I can't exactly demand reviews from you guys or get mad when you don't post them or something. I'm so glad you like this story! Thank you so much!**


	16. Timing is Everything

**To answer one reviewers question - no. No, I did not die. I just fail horribly at updating is all.**

**I don't even understand why you guys put up with me anymore.**

**I am failing so hard as a writer. I don't even have an excuses, and I don't know how to apologize enough. You're all such amazing fans of mine, and I just keep letting you down with these ridiculously long, unexpected delays.**

**It's another really long chapter, though... Please don't hate me. I love you all.**

**I did skim over this for spelling errors, but I am sick/exhausted, so I wouldn't be surprised if I missed some. I apologize in advance.**

**Oh! And this chapter includes a request from Tsukasa-kun, who wanted to see a really explosive fight with bonding at the end, and answers a general request because a lot of you wanted to see a certain character return... You'll see. ;)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Tell me about Ciaran."

Silver was on the porch of the Benbow smoking his pipe, but faltered slightly when Jim suddenly came bounding out the back door demanding explanations. Jim hadn't meant to sound so ornery, but the simple fact was that he'd been trying to find a moment alone to talk to Silver all day, and this was the first chance he'd gotten. Meanwhile, it had been nearly impossible to shake his dream from the night before; every time his mind started to wonder, it immediately found it's way back to the way Tabitha looked so helpless, how guilty he felt, the way that stranger touched her -

Even so, he'd refused to tell Tabitha about the nightmare. It hadn't been too much of a problem, since she knew what it was like to not one to discuss it, but it was clear she was worried about him. He just didn't want to start explaining why he found it so scary, and why he'd had the dream in the first place, without getting his facts straight first, which is precisely why he needed to talk to Silver.

"Alright," Silver answered tensely.

Jim walked over and stood next to his father-in-law. "Tell me why you think Abigail and Tabitha shouldn't go."

"I told ya, Jimbo," he answered, frustration already seeping into his tone. "It ain't a place respectable ladies like them need t' be."

Jim sighed, rubbing his eyes warily. "Look, I know there's stuff about your past you don't like to talk about, but you can't just tell me that something like what happened to Tabitha on Lacuna might happen again, and then not give me any details. If you expect me to tell Tabitha that she doesn't need to come, then I'm damn well going to need some information to back me up."

Silver blinked in shock at the young man's sudden tangent. "Ya alright, lad?"

"Fine." When Silver looked less than accepting of that terse answer, Jim pinched the bridge of his nose and reluctantly admitted, "I... I didn't sleep well last night. I was too worried."

The older man looked a bit regretful, finally sighing as he began to explain, "I told ya Ciaran's dangerous, an' I meant it, but... it ain't any kinda danger ya been through before, Jim." He paused, a crease forming in his brow as if he was thinking reall hard. "Vanessa spent her whole life t'ere, and even she never left that tavern o' hers, not t' mention she kept a pistol on her at all times. John only left when he didn't 'ave a choice, an' he didn't go without hidin' a weapon anywhere he could on 'im. In t'e first night I was there, I ended up shot an' nearly dead. That's _me_, lad. If t'e people t'ere ain't scared o' me, what d' ya t'ink t'ey are scared of?"

"But if me and Graham are going, why couldn't Tabitha?" Jim rebutted. "You know what she can handle on her own, and we're all there as well - why wouldn't she be as safe as the rest of us?"

"That's t'e t'ing, lad," Silver explained. "None of us are gonna be safe. I'm already regrettin' askin' ya t' take me - "

"You didn't exactly ask, I volunteered."

He ignored this and continued. "An' I don't know what I'd do if one o' ya got killed while we were t'ere."

"_Killed?_" Jim repeated, the anxiety in his chest tightening even more. "But I thought - "

"Yeah, Jim. Killed. I ain't gonna play it down fer ya. If we go, we're gonna get attacked."

"You just _know_ that?"

"I know t'ere's a damn good chance of it, an' even more o' one if Tabby goes. See here, Jim: When we get t'ere, as long as we're outside o' t'e tavern, we're at a risk. We can make a run fer it, but t'at won't make a difference. Now, if it's me, you, Graham, and Anthony, we might get mugged, but t'at's gonna be it, an' we might could fight our way out of it. Ya throw a gal like Tabby in the mix, an' we're talkin' about a whole other kinda situation. An' ya know if Tabby's in trouble, you an' me are both gonna try t' save 'er, which puts us at a higher risk o' bein' caught off guard."

"What if Tabitha's disguised as a boy?"

"She was dressed like a boy on Lacuna - lotta good t'at did. Not t' mention t'ere are plenty o' types out t'ere t'at can tell a woman from a man jus' by smell." Jim was starting to look defeated. Silver sighed heavily and lowered his voice. "Bottom line is someone's gonna get hurt. If it's just us, t'en we'll probably make it out with a few bruises. If Tabby goes, we're - "

"Yeah, no, I got it," Jim stopped him, not wanting to hear anymore possibilities of what Tabitha might have to go through if she went.

Silver exchanged an apologetic look with him just as the sound of the door opening reached their ears.

"Hey, Silver, are you - " Tabitha began as she stepped on the porch and found the two men. "Oh. What are you two doing out here?"

They exchanged nervous glances, but Silver was the one who finally answered. "Just talkin' 'bout t'at trip to Ciaran. Whatcha need, lass?"

"Abigail just told me you convinced her not to come to Ciaran with us," she explained sadly. "Why?"

"Uh... I just don't t'ink she's up fer a trip like t'is. Too dangerous."

"Oh... Well, I guess. I mean, she doesn't have as much experience as the rest of us..." Tabitha leaned against the rail of the porch. "Still, I feel bad leaving her here alone."

"Well, Sarah - "

"You could stay with her," Jim blurted out.

She blinked in surprise at the suggestion, then laughed it off. "No, I want to come. Besides, you guys might need a doctor."

"If we did, I could handle it, lass," Silver commented, catching on to Jim's attempt. "I might not 'ave graduated from t'e academy, but I got more hands on experience t'en you do."

Tabitha looked back and forth between the two of them. Neither of them seemed inclined to look at her - Silver was smoking his pipe, his eyes fixed on the sky, and Jim was surveying the wood grain of the rail around the patio with unusual interest. Jim had been acting a bit off all day, but she'd attributed it simply to the nightmare... Now, though, she wasn't so sure. "What's the matter with you two?"

The anxious glance Silver and Jim exchanged did nothing to quell her fears. Again, Silver was the one to speak.

"Tabby... I been t'inkin' t'at it might not be such a good idea fer t'e lot o' ya t' come to Ciaran wit' me. I was tellin' Jimbo I was considerin' cancelin' the trip."

"Canceling?" she gasped. "You can't! What about Vanessa?"

"Well, I could go see 'er some other way. Hitch a ride on some ot'er voyage."

"Because I'm sure lots of ships take voyages to a place that's known to harbor pirates and thieves and cutthroats," she sarcastically reasoned. "Even if you were lucky enough to find a ship going there, you're an ex-pirate. Not many people are going to agree to let you on their ship, and even if they did, it would probably cost you a fair bit of money and involve you making stops at who knows how many other places along the way. That trip could end up taking months, and if you aren't going to let Abigail come... I mean, I'm just assuming you don't want to be away from her that long." Jim and Silver looked a bit shocked at how quickly she'd worked through all that until she shrugged and explained, "What? I've been thinking about it ever since you said it was a dangerous place to be. I don't want any of us hurt, so I tried to figure out if there was another way to do it... but I don't think there is."

Jim rubbed at his chin thoughtfully. "He could join up with another pirate crew. They'd be more likely to take a trip to Ciaran."

"No! Silver is an _ex_-pirate. He was lucky enough to get off scot-free - if he joins back up with a pirate crew, that's not going to do him any good. And how would he fill out paperwork that says he's going on a voyage with pirates? Not to mention I don't think Commodore Aldamae would ever agree to escort you that way."

Jim sighed heavily and turned away again.

"What is with you two?" she questioned again. "I know it's going to be dangerous, but we've handled dangerous voyages before just fine. Why would - "

"That doesn't mean we'd make it out 'just fine' this time, too," Jim mumbled.

Tabitha stared at Jim for a second. "Is this about me?" she laughed nervously, hoping that she was mistaken.

He sighed heavily, closing his eyes. "Tabitha..."

She froze when he confirmed her suspicions. "You… _cannot_ be serious. _Again?_ Jim - "

"It's not just him, lass. I'm worried 'bout ya too," Silver intervened.

"Why? You two do this every time we go on a voyage that might have any kind of danger. You both know what I can handle - "

"Yeah, and we know what you can't handle too," Jim interrupted.

"And you don't think I can handle this trip?"

"Silver doesn't think so, and I really, _really_ don't want to find out the hard way that he's right."

Tabitha was speechless. It was unbelievable that they were going through this spiel _again_. When she finally got her senses back, she quickly began to ramble off the same ideas Jim had proposed, and was shot down each time by the same explanations Silver had given.

"So what then?" she snapped, irritated with the entire theory. "We're canceling the trip?"

"You said yourself that that isn't going to work," Jim replied.

It took a second for realization of what Jim was getting to dawn on Tabitha. "So... _I'm_ not going then?"

Silver sighed. "Tabby..."

"Don't _'Tabby'_ me! You expect me to just stay here while you all go gallivanting off on an adventure of your own? You know I'm not going to do that!"

"I also know ya ain't as strong as ya t'ink, Tabitha! I know ya can usually handle yerself, but on Ciaran, ya couldn't!"

"How do you know that?"

"Because I know ya, lass! An' I know t'at planet could chew ya up and spit ya back out before ya even knew what was happenin'! It ain't a place ya need to go, Tabitha Renee, an' I'll see to it t'at ya don't, even if it means cancelin' the whole trip."

"So either I don't go, or nobody goes? Those are the two options? Silver, that isn't fair!"

"What's not fair is t'at I'm yer pap, an' I'm tryin' to take care o' ya, an' all yer doin is givin' me grief about it." Silver stormed off back toward the inn, pausing just inside the doorway and turning back to look at her again. "Ya know I wouldn't tell ya to stay if I didn't 'ave a good reason. T'e last time I told ya t' stay back was when ya went t' Lacuna, an' look what all happened t' ya t'ere. Maybe ya should just t'ink about t'at before ya start actin' so stubborn."

Tabitha ground her teeth together, her hands balling into fists at her side. "I'm going," she defiantly stated to no one in particular.

"No, you're not."

She'd almost forgot that Jim was out there with her - and that he was apparently just as against her going as Silver was - but she jerked around to face him now. "What?"

Jim took a deep breath, gathered up some nerve, and looked her in the eye. "You aren't going, Tabitha."

Tabitha stared at him, hovering somewhere between hurt and angry and confused. "You're really taking Silver's side on this?"

"Look, don't turn it into that. I don't want to say I'm taking sides."

"But you are!"

"No, I'm not!" he insisted, stepping forward to grab her hand. "I just want you to be safe."

"So... S-So keep me safe there! You always want to do that anyway - "

"Yeah, but... not this time."

"Why not?"

"Because this trip is more dangerous," he explained, starting to get exasperated. "Yeah, I know I always look out for you, but I don't want to when the risks are this high."

Tabitha's brow creased in thought, her hand slipping out of his. "So… basically, when it get's down to it, you don't _actually_ want to protect me, you just like to _pretend_ to play knight in shining armor."

Jim only let the hurt show on his face for a second before he turned it into a glare. "You've got to – " He shook his head in annoyed disbelief. "You can't actually think that."

"Well what am I supposed to think? We go on all these voyages where you say you're 'protecting me' even though there's no danger, and then the first time a trip with any real risk comes up, you try to keep me from going?"

"It's _not_ like that!"

"Oh, really? Then please, tell me what it is like," she said sarcastically.

"Maybe I just don't want you to come because you're acting like - "

"Like what? What exactly am I acting like?"

"Like a child. A spoiled brat that isn't getting her way." She turned on her heal and started to walk away, but he couldn't drop it for some reason. "Look, I'm the captain, and I decide who goes – "

"Oh, I'm the one acting like a child?" she scoffed, spinning around to face him. "You're pulling the 'I'm the captain and I'm in charge' card on your own wife?"

"All I'm saying is that in the end, it's not going to matter how much you beg or plead – if I don't want you to go, then you're not going."

Tabitha pierced him with her gaze. "We're married, Jim."

"You think I don't know that?" he snapped. "Just listen to – "

"We're a team!" she argued stepping on the end of his sentence. "That's what we planned from the beginning - to take all our voyages together. You're supposed to want me there."

"Yeah? Well, maybe I would if you would stop acting like such a bitch!"

She recoiled as if she'd been physically hit, but tried to quickly mask her hurt with anger. "You are such an asshole sometimes."

Jim watched her walk away, ignoring every comment he thought to shout after her and instead silently cursing himself. What the hell was he doing? "Ugh!" he growled, kicking the railing of the porch before rushing after her.

"I'm going home," Tabitha informed anyone who happened to be in the kitchen when she stormed in.

"Oh," Sarah said, blinking in surprise at the sudden outburst. "Well, okay..."

"Is everything alright, dear?" Abigail warily questioned from her place at the stove.

"I have no idea..." Tabitha muttered under her breath as she continued on her way.

Jim followed her in now. "Tabitha - "

But Tabitha was already out of the kitchen, making her way to the front of the inn as quickly as she could.

"Tabitha… Look - " Jim tried again as they approached the front door.

"Leave me alone," she mumbled, not bothering to stop to pull on her coat. She grabbed it and began putting her arms in the sleeves as she left.

Her attempt to slam the door behind her was halted when Jim caught the edge of it and followed her out. "But I'm - "

"Why are you still talking to me?" she suddenly shouted. "If I'm such a bitch, then why don't you just leave me alone?"

Jim stopped and let her walk away. It wasn't until she was about halfway down the road that he let out a frustrated noise, kicking the pebbles on the path as he turned to head back to the Benbow. The second he had the door shut behind him, he knew all eyes were on him. Abigail, Sarah, Silver, and the Doppler's – all staring at him, waiting for someone else to speak or for him to give an explanation…

Jim pretended not to notice as he sighed and walked past all of them and back into the kitchen, refusing to say anything.

* * *

Tabitha was still awake when she heard the front door of their home open and shut again a couple of hours later. She'd been sitting up in bed, holding her diary and trying to figure out what to write, but she'd been too frustrated and confused to think of how and what and where to begin...

Within seconds, the sound of Jim's boots against the hardwood floors could be heard moving closer - past the den, through the kitchen, to the entryway that led to their room. She could sense him standing in the doorway at this point, but refused to face him just yet.

"I don't want to fight with you."

Tabitha looked up. He was leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed and gaze focused on the floor rather than her.

"But I'm also not going to let you go on this trip."

She let out a quiet scoff of a laugh. "What makes you think you get to _let_ me do things?"

"I'm the captain." When he heard her sigh he glanced up to see her shaking her head as if that response was completely ridiculous. "Look, I'd rather work this out with you, but… if it get's down to it, I'll just refuse to let you come."

"Jim, would you just… _listen_ to yourself?" she begged, trying to stay calm. "Are you honestly this intent on making me stay here?"

Jim sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "You're making it sound like I don't want you there."

"Because you don't!"

"_No_, I'm just trying to keep you safe," he explained, walking over and taking a seat in front of her on the bed. "I would love to have you there with me, but not if it puts you in any danger."

"But it's – I mean…" She sighed and looked away again. "If the trip is actually that dangerous, then I don't want you to go either."

Jim was silent for a moment. "Then how do you expect Silver to check on Vanessa?"

"I… I don't know," she mumbled dejectedly. "Couldn't… Couldn't Silver just take our ship and go?"

"Silver can't run the whole ship by himself."

"Well, him and Commodore Aldamae – "

"Tabitha, you know that ship absolutely has to have at least four people to maintain it constantly, and that puts one person doing double duty, and everyone working long hours and getting very little sleep."

"So… well, there's another reason to let me go then!" she pointed out. "If I go, there'll be five. Sure, it'll be a skeleton crew, but no one will have to work two jobs and – "

"No. I'd rather lose sleep for a few weeks than put your life in danger," he said finitely. She looked like she wanted to argue, but she couldn't figure out how… so Jim continued, attempting to end this all now. "Look, there isn't another way. You already knew that. So are you going to let me take Silver to check up on Vanessa, or are you going to let her stay there and just leave him hoping that she's okay?"

Tabitha's mouth fell open as she stared at him, clearly upset about the way he was handling this. "Why are you trying to make me out as the bad guy here?"

"I'm not!" Jim insisted. "It's just that you're the one going against what everyone else wants."

"Okay, one, 'everyone else' is only you and Silver, and two, I don't think it's such an outrageous quest to want to do my job and be with my husband."

Jim watched her stand up and walk a few feet away, then stood to his feet as well. "Yeah? Well I don't think it's so outrageous for your dad and your husband to try to keep you safe. This isn't like the voyages we normally take."

"I know that!" Tabitha walked back towards him. "That's exactly the reason I don't want to be stuck here worrying about you the whole time."

He sighed, rubbing at his eyes in frustration. "Nothing's going to happen to me. I'll be fine as long as you're not there."

"Oh, right," she scoffed. "I forgot you suddenly become invincible whenever I'm not around."

Jim rolled his eyes and groaned. "For the love of God, Tabitha, why are you acting like this?"

"Like what, Jim? Confused? Upset?" she yelled. "Gee, I have no idea why I would feel like that!"

"Just stop it," he said in more annoyance than anger.

"No! I'm not going to stop it! It isn't fair! It isn't fair for you to make me stay home and worry about you just so you can have peace of mind! If you're in danger, then I want to be there to protect you." Jim shot her a skeptical look that made her stop for a second. "What?"

"You want to protect me?" The chuckle that left him was condescending and amused, as if he was arguing with a child. "That doesn't make any sense."

Tabitha's eyes narrowed into a glare of pure disdain. "Why not?"

"Because if you're there, then the person in the most danger would be you. I'd have to protect you."

"Damn it, Jim! Stop doing that! It's not your job to - "

"_Don't_," he fiercely stopped her once again, taking a step closer so he could tower over her. "Don't say that it's not my job. Don't tell me that again. You know I would die to keep you safe - stop trying to act like that's somehow a bad thing."

"It _is_ a bad thing when you _take it too far!_"

"I'm not taking it too far! What part of what Silver told us did you not understand? Do you get what would most likely happen to you if we were attacked on Ciaran? It makes me sick to my stomach to even _think_ about something like that happening to you!"

"And do you not understand that the same things could happen to you?" she yelled right back. "You could end up dead just as easily as me! That's why I want to come! That way, we can protect each other, and we'll be with each other if – stars forbid - anything goes wrong!"

Jim quickly ran his hand through his hair. "But I don't want to have to do that."

"Do what?"

"I don't want to have to try to protect you! Not in a place like that!"

She rubbed her temples. "You need to make up your mind. If you don't want to protect me – "

"I do! That's what I'm trying to do!" Tabitha raised her eyebrows, pointing out that he'd just completely contradicted himself in a few short seconds. He growled under his breath and closed his eyes. "I want to protect you by making you stay here where you're safe, not by putting you in danger and then trying to save you."

"You want to protect me by forcing me to do something I don't want to do," she snippily corrected.

Jim scoffed. "Yeah. I'd rather you be pissed off and alive than content and dead, though stars knows why if this is the kind of shit I'll have to deal with."

Tabitha didn't know what to say; it wasn't like Jim to act like this, and she didn't know what it meant. He walked to the other side of the room and began rummaging through the doors like he was looking for something, but she suspected it was more because he just didn't want to have to look her in the eye. "Why are you being so insensitive?"

When he glanced at her again, he would have sworn she looked more sad than angry, but it was only for a flash of a second, and then she was back to looking like she might hit him.

"Do you not understand that this all works in reverse?" she asked quietly. "Do you not understand that I don't want to have to worry about you for weeks? That I don't want you to die? That I'm just as scared for you as you are for me?"

Jim slammed the drawer shut. "Would you stop trying to act like it's the same thing? It's _not_ the same, Tabitha!"

"Why is it not?"

"Because you're a girl! The planet is dangerous to you because you're a girl!"

Tabitha scoffed, rolling her eyes at the ceiling. "You know what? You're starting to sound the same way you did when we first met, back on Treasure Planet."

"Yeah, and was it just my imagination, or did you end up captured by pirates when you tried to help?" he taunted her. "In fact, has there _ever_ been a time where you tried to help, and _didn't_ end up in trouble one way or another? Thing's will be a hell of a lot easier on everyone if you're not there."

Tabitha simply stared at him. After a stunned moment, she started to open her mouth to snap something back, then settled on biting her lip instead, turning her gaze to the floor. A few seconds of silence made the air between then even more tense, and suddenly she left the room.

Jim listened to her footsteps, playing back what he'd just said… and he groaned to himself. That had been to harsh. Starting to rub the back of his neck, he sighed his disappointment in himself and stepped around to follow her. "Tabitha – "

"I am not that kind of girl, Jim," she interrupted, turning to face him when she heard him enter the kitchen. She stood beside the counter, shaking her head in… disbelief or annoyance or… who really knew. "I have never been that kind of girl, and you know it. I _will not_ sit home and be a good little housewife and let you go off on a potentially dangerous voyage. I am _never_ going to be that kind of girl."

"Really? Because last I checked our plan for after we have kids was that we would take turns going on voyages so someone can always stay with – "

Tabitha closed her eyes, fighting the urge to burst into tears like her body was threatening to. "Really, Jim? Really? Kids? You think _now_ is a good time to bring up kids? God, it's like you're trying to make things worse!"

Jim had been asking himself the same questions, and he didn't have an answer, so he tried to turn the conversation around. "I'm trying to make a point."

"Well… it's a stupid point. Those are completely different circumstances. Right now, while it's just us, you cannot expect me to be that kind of girl."

"No, because you're apparently the kind of girl that would do something as stupid and selfish as risking everyone's life just to get her way," he said in a sarcastically cheerful way.

"Selfish? _I'm_ the one being selfish?" She marched back over to him, putting her hands on his chest and pushing him back a couple of steps. "You're the one who doesn't give a damn about how much his wife will have to worry if he leaves. No, just as long as _he_ has the peace of mind knowing she's safe – " Another small push. " - Just as long as _he_ doesn't have to _actually_ protect her and put himself at risk – "

"You – " A million different things he could have said hit him all at once. As her hands moved to his chest to push him once again, he grabbed her wrists to stop her. Then, for the first time in his life, Jim realized he didn't trust himself not to hurt her – not as if he thought he might do something on purpose, but at the moment, he didn't trust himself not to even hold her too tightly. Panicked and still infuriated and now more upset than ever, he threw her hands away and moved around the counter to put some distance between them.

"I had no idea it was such a chore for you."

He turned back around to look at her. Now that she was standing closer to the windows, the light from the dim stars revealed just enough of her face to show that she was crying. Grinding his teeth together and trying to resist the urge to yell and make things worse, he managed to tensely say, "You know, if you're going to be so damn ungrateful about it, maybe I should just stop looking out for you altogether."

"It's not like I ever asked you to in the first place!" she shouted, voice squeaky and rough now that she was crying. "I can take care of myself!"

"You know what? Fine. Go ahead!" he granted, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Maybe you'll get hurt on Ciaran and you'll see that you really do need me."

"No." She quickly wiped her sleeve across her face to erase any tear tracks, then shook her head. "No, I won't... because I _don't_ need you, Jim."

The words hovered in the room, echoing through their minds in the silence. Jim felt like he'd forgotten how to breathe… He waited for Tabitha to realize what she'd said, to take it back… but it never happened. Nothing, not even so much as a flicker of remorse passed over her features. She was really serious. Steeling himself, he met her gaze, hoping his façade would hold. He didn't say a word, but the expression on his face spoke volumes. Deciding she didn't want to break down completely in front of him, she ran back to the bedroom, sinking down against the door as soon as she'd shut it behind her. Seconds later, she heard the front door slam shut, and the sob she'd been holding back tore through her, her hand flying to cover her mouth as she leaned her face into her hands and started to cry.

Even though he was alone outside, Jim hastily wiped his eyes on his jacket and tried to settle down, like he was trying to hide how upset he was from himself. There wasn't much to do in the middle of the night, which he realized within seconds of stepping out into the frigid night air. He could go to the inn, but he wasn't sure he wanted to risk waking someone up and having them question what he was doing up there, and where Tabitha was, and what was wrong with him…

Flying a solar surfer at night was probably a good way to get killed, but at the moment, Jim didn't care. It was freedom and an escape and everything he'd used it for back when he was fifteen.

Back before he met Tabitha, something reminded him.

He quickly shook the thought from his head – after all, she didn't need him, right? Cursing under his breath, he wandered around to the back of their house to the small shed where his solar surfer and various other odds and ends were kept. It was only then that he realized his solar surfer wasn't charged; he hadn't ridden it in months, so he'd had no reason to charge it. He flicked the solar lamp and spread out the sail of it anyway. It would probably be morning before it charged, but at least then it'd be ready to go if they were still fighting tomorrow.

If they were still fighting tomorrow.

Jim didn't want to think about it. Of course he and Tabitha fought, but it was always over stupid things, and they were always over it by the end of the day, or at least over it enough that they were able to say "I love you" and fall asleep in the same bed. "Never go to bed angry." It had been some of the advice Silver had given him before he'd gotten married, and it had stuck with him. Maybe it was because he could still vividly remember nights as a child, listening to his parents fight after they thought he was asleep, or maybe it was because he couldn't stand the idea of sleeping on the couch without Tabitha, but he always made sure to at least apologize before they fell asleep. Sometimes they didn't reach a full compromise until the next day, but at least they wouldn't be fighting. So far, not going to bed angry had been working well.

But he and Tabitha had never had a fight like this. They'd gone at each other with all the bitterness of two people that hated each other. How many times had he flat out insulted her? Hadn't he called her a bitch at one point? He'd never called Tabitha a negative name – _never_ – so what the hell had gotten into him tonight, and how in the stars was he going to figure out a compromise with her?

* * *

Tabitha had never liked crying, but she absolutely despised it when Jim wasn't around, like he wasn't now. Knowing that it was her fault only made her sob harder, which only made her want him more, which reminded her that she was the reason he wasn't here – it was a horrible, vicious circle, and it was only after a couple of hours of crying into her folded arms on the floor of the bedroom that she finally had no more tears and was forced to stop.

She hated herself. She completely and totally hated herself. What was the matter with her? Why had she acted so horrible to him? She still stuck behind her point, and she still wanted to go… but now no option seemed to be a good one. Every option had risks for their life and their relationship and…

Why had she said she didn't need him? Why would she say that? Remembering the way he'd looked at her after the words had left her mouth sent a sharp stab of remorse straight through her; she could only imagine how it must have hurt him. She hadn't meant it. She hadn't at all. She hadn't even meant to get so mad… but he'd just been so infuriating.

Maybe it was just an off night for both of them?

Off night or not, Tabitha knew she wasn't going to sleep. She wasn't tired, and she didn't want to if Jim still wasn't home… and it wasn't likely that she'd sleep very well without him anyway. She made a cup of coffee and tried to figure out what the hell her problem was.

When Jim entered the kitchen around sunrise, he was more than a little surprised to see Tabitha awake and standing at the kitchen counter, just as she seemed to be a bit startled by his sudden appearance as well. They stared at each other for a minute, letting their hearts and minds fight the battle of whether they felt more guilty or more bitter.

"Coffee?" Tabitha finally questioned.

Jim shrugged. "Sure."

She poured him a mug full and slid it across the counter to him. He made a small grunt that she assumed was supposed to be a thank you… and then they were back to a tense silence, both drinking their coffee and refusing to face each other.

"Where were you?" Tabitha blurted out when curiosity and concern finally got the best of her.

Jim blinked in surprise; that certainly wasn't where he'd expected a conversation between them to start. "I was going to go solar surfing, but – "

"In the middle of the night?" She questioned worriedly, setting her cup down on the counter a bit harder than she usually would have. "Do you have a death wish?"

He rolled his eyes. "I would have been fine."

"You always think that," she mumbled, turning away from him.

"And I always am."

"That doesn't mean you always will be."

Jim had to take a deep breath to remind himself not to yell. "So let me get this straight," he began, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and pointer finger. "Just because I've been fine before doesn't mean I always will be - you're allowed to use that logic when it comes to me solar surfing, but I'm not allowed to when discussing whether you can come to Ciaran or not?"

Tabitha placed her cup down in the sink a lot harder than was necessary. "Going to Ciaran would be so that I can be with you, do my job, help protect the rest of the people on the voyage, and maybe even help Vanessa out. Riding your solar surfer at night is stupid and reckless and nothing more than a good way to get yourself killed."

"And why would you care if I did if you don't need me anyway?"

Jim quickly downed the last half of his coffee, not caring that it burned his tongue and throat. He walked around the counter and stared at her. She'd been crying. He knew her eyes had watered up a bit the night before, but now they were puffy and red… and now that he thought about it, she probably hadn't gotten any sleep either. This was obviously not the best time for them to try to talk, and yet there he was, making snide comments and hurting her even more.

That last comment had struck a nerve in Tabitha, and her eyes somehow found a few more tears. "Jim, I – " It wasn't until she looked up and noticed him staring at her, observing her, that she suddenly realized how obvious it must be that she'd been crying earlier. And then suddenly, she felt sick to her stomach, almost uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze; all she wanted was to get as far away from him as she could right now, so that he wouldn't know she was crying, so that they didn't have to talk. "Never mind, forget it," she mumbled, wincing when her voice squeaked.

Jim just watched her leave… Why didn't he try to stop her? He stared at the swinging kitchen door until it stopped. Why hadn't he been more apologetic to begin with? The regret and anger coursing through him made him want to throw up, and as he tensed up, he suddenly remembered the mug he still had in his hand. He got a strange sense of satisfaction tainted with idiocy at the sound of it breaking against the wall.

* * *

"Hey," Graham cheerily greeted Tabitha when she entered the kitchen.

"Hey," she mumbled as she gathered her hair up into a ponytail. "What needs to be done?"

"You're playing waitress today. There's only one family down here right now, so no rush."

"Thanks."

Graham arched an eyebrow, watching her as she immediately set to work filling drinks. "Where's Jim?"

"I don't know," she reluctantly answered.

"Is he coming up today?"

She set the drinks on the tray. "I don't know."

"What's my name?"

The tray was already balanced on her hand, and she was halfway out the kitchen door – she easily could have pretended not to have heard him… but she didn't. She stopped, sighging and looking back at him with a half smile. "Graham Marlow Emerson the Third."

He made a disgusted face. "Shit, I forgot you know my whole name. Graham would have been fine – I just wanted to see if you were giving the same 'I don't know' answer for everything." After she rolled her eyes, he dropped his smirk. "Hey, seriously - do you know where he is? Or should I just assume that I'm doing all the cooking?"

Tabitha bit her lip. "I-I guess he's still at home… but I have no idea if he's coming up."

Graham wasn't the best at picking up emotions, but it wasn't hard to guess that Tabitha had been crying recently from the way her eyes were pink and puffy, and the bags under her eyes suggested she hadn't slept well either. He turned off the stove and walked over to her. "Hey… you alright?"

Despite herself, she smiled at his friendly concern. "I'm fine, thanks."

"What did Jim do to you?" he asked, playing up his role a bit. "Did he hurt you? Do you want me to go kick his ass? 'Cause I'll do it. I'll – "

"I'm sure you would," she laughed.

He smiled at the fact that he'd at least got her to smile, but kept his seriousness. "This does have something to do with him, doesn't it?"

"Wh-Why do you think that?" Tabitha asked curiously.

"Well, he's not up here, and if you were upset for any other reason, he'd be comforting you. Just guessed that you guys had a fight or something," he shrugged. When she placed the drinks back down on the counter again and sighed, he frowned. "So it was a fight, huh?"

"He doesn't want me to go to Ciaran," she blurted out.

"What? Why?"

"Because he thinks it's too dangerous, and – " She shook her head, letting out an exhausted sigh. "I don't know. I know he's trying to protect me, but… I-I want to be able to protect him too, and it just doesn't seem fair to make me stay here – "

"No, it doesn't," Graham agreed, a thick crease in his brow now. "Look, it's probably not my place, but I'm going to go talk to him… unless you have some sort of objection?" When she shook her head, he smiled again. "Alright, I'll be back up soon. Let me go try to talk some sense into him – wish me luck."

She got out a light-hearted laugh, but after he was gone, she was back to feeling slightly sick. Forcing down the nervous churning in her stomach, she picked up the tray once again and decided to focus all her energy on waitressing, casting all thoughts of Jim and Ciaran from her head until she could think through them clearly.

Breakfast came and went… and Graham still hadn't brought Jim back. She and Sarah had managed to serve everyone pretty efficiently, and Silver could easily handle all the cooking by himself while Abigail did dishes, so it wasn't _that_ big of a deal. Tabitha started out mostly curious about what might be taking so long… but when a lunch rush of twice as many people as they'd served at breakfast came and went and the boys still hadn't come back, her promise to focus only on food and dishes and customers was completely gone, and she was spending debating whether to be angry or worried.

"Tabitha, I need your help out here as soon as possible," Sarah called out, peering through the kitchen door. "A group of about forty men just showed up for dinner."

"Forty?" Tabitha repeated in shock. "Damn…"

"Well, at least yer pretty," Silver chuckled. "Jus' smile at 'em an' maybe t'ey'll tip ya pretty well."

"Yeah, thanks," she mumbled as she walked out, grabbing a notepad and pencil and picking one of the newly seated tables at random to get their order. "Hello. Welcome to the Benbow Inn of Montressor. What can I get you to drink?" She quickly scribbled down the five men's orders and smiled as convincingly as she could. "Alright, I'll bring those right out. My name's Tabitha. Just shout if you need anything."

She only managed to take about four steps before she heard her name.

"Tabitha!"

She turned back around, raising her eyebrows curiously at the man who'd called her. "Yes?"

The man smirked, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. "Tabitha Alexander."

Tabitha blanched, debating whether to be concerned or just surprised. "Do… D-Do I know you?"

"I should say so," he chuckled. "I guess it's been about ten years, but I think you'd remember me of all people."

The man appeared to be about thirty, with a typical tall, dark, and handsome look – black hair, tanned skin, a coy smile he never seemed to lose. He was the kind of men girl's fell for… the kind of man she'd fallen for…

"_Henry?_" she gasped.

"I knew you'd get it sooner or later," he laughed as he walked over and pulled her into an unexpected hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, uh…" She awkwardly returned the sudden embrace, trying not to seem too caught off guard. "I-I work here. What are you doing here?"

"Spacing, of course! Moved up to captain after my father passed."

"Oh, I-I'm sorry to hear about your dad…"

He shrugged it off and smiled. "It was several years ago. I'd rather not dwell on it. Tell me, how have you been? What are you – "

"Tabby!" Silver shouted, standing in the doorway of the kitchen. "Ya can socialize wit' yer fans later, lass. Ya know I need yer help now."

"Oh, r-right, coming!" She turned back to Henry. "Um… m-maybe we'll talk later?"

"Looking forward to it, love," he winked.

Tabitha raced back to the kitchen. "H-Henry!" was all she managed to say, but Silver nodded.

"Aye, I heard – Cap'n Henry Albright." He pushed a few glasses towards Tabitha. "Jus' get t'e drinks out to 'em, lass. We'll figure out what t' do about him later."

Tabitha nodded, grabbing as many cups as she could carry and heading back to the dining room. Silver shook his head and sighed. "Of all t'e days fer Jimbo t' miss work…"

* * *

"Wow."

Jim really hadn't expected much else from Graham by the time he'd finished explaining the whole fight to him. "Yeah."

Graham shook his head in disbelief. "You two _really_ went at it."

Jim sighed regretfully. "Yeah."

"Maybe… I mean, hell, you guys have been spending all your time together recently. A fight was probably inevitable."

"I guess…"

They were both silent for a few minutes, sitting on the edge of one of the cliffs and staring out at the bland horizon. Finally, Graham took a deep breath. "Well, you know what this means." Jim looked at him curiously and Graham smirked. "Make-up sex." Jim shot him a look that made it clear he wasn't amused. "Well, I don't know what else you expect me to say! The sex part is the part I know about," Graham shrugged, with just the faintest hint of a smug smile. "Anything outside of that – you're talking to the wrong guy."

"But you know me, and you know Tabitha. Don't you at least have an opinion on who's right?" Jim asked.

"No way, man," Graham shook his head, holding up a finger to stop Jim. "I am not about to choose sides here, not with you and Tabitha."

"I'm not asking you to choose sides, I just want to know what you think."

Graham sighed, scuffing his boot against the hard dirt. "Alright, to be completely honest… I think you should let her go." Jim sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Wait, let me tell you why. I know it will be more dangerous if Tabitha goes… but knowing the two of you - the way you are about each other is just…" He laughed in disbelief. "You don't find that every day. And I don't think it's fair to make someone you care about that much sit home alone and worry about you for a month or more just to give yourself some peace of mind. That seems…"

"Selfish," Jim finished for him. "God, I really have been acting like an asshole."

"Well, just remember you were the one who just said that – not me," Graham teased. "But I think maybe she's right. Maybe it would be best if you two were together, in case anything does happen to one of you."

The idea that maybe this was true was giving Jim a migraine. Her point of view really did make a lot of sense… at least for her; if something happened to him, she'd be at his side to take care of him… but if the tables were turned, if something happened to her and he had to go through what he went through back on Lacuna… No. He just couldn't do it again, especially not after that dream. Even the memory of it sent a sick feeling of dread through his chest.

His mind turned to worst case scenarios before he could stop it. If something were to happen to him, Tabitha would be fine. He knew that. He hated to say it, but she'd lost people before, and she'd always been okay. She'd still have Silver and Abigail, and Sarah and the commodore, as well as Graham and the rest of their friends… Yeah, she'd be fine. Distraught, heartbroken, yes… but she'd be fine in the end. If he were to lose her though… Jim had no idea how he'd be able to live without her. He knew that if it happened, he'd blame himself for the rest of his life. He felt like it was his job to protect her, and if he failed at that, and she died… There was no way he'd ever recover, ever move on, ever feel like he'd redeemed himself.

Jim took a deep breath, realizing his thoughts, the lack of sleep, and his rampant emotions were pushing him way too close to tears for his comfort. "We should probably head back."

Graham raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

"Yeah, we've been out here all day," Jim said, glancing at the now setting sun.

"Yeah, we - Shit…" Graham suddenly groaned. "She's going to kill me. You. Us."

"What? Who? Why?"

"Tabitha. I told her I'd be right back when I left the Benbow, like… twelve hours ago."

Jim shot him a glare that silently asked 'are you kidding me?' before sighing and kick starting his solar surfer. "Great."

Graham stepped onto the other board. "Sorry. I'll tell her it was my fault."

"Whatever. Let's just get back before anything else goes wrong."

* * *

Tabitha was fuming by the time dinner was over and she still hadn't seen Jim. Who did he think he was? He didn't get to ditch off on the work at the inn just because they had a fight. She was here, wasn't she? Where the hell had Graham gotten off to? They'd been gone the entire day when they knew they should be up here. And what were they doing instead anyway? There wasn't anything else to do. They had to -

"What did those dishes ever do to you?"

Tabitha jumped, dropping the bowl she'd been scrubbing her frustrations out on.

Henry laughed at her reaction. "Still clumsy, I see." She stared at him in shock until he raised his eyebrows expectantly. "Are you going to clean that up?"

Tabitha blinked and looked down at the shattered bowl. "Damn," she muttered under her breath as she rushed over to the pantry to grab the broom and dustpan. "Sorry about that. You startled me."

"Don't apologize to me," he chuckled. "That's not my bowl, and not my paycheck it will be coming out of."

"I don't exactly get a paycheck for working here. It's just something Jim and I do when we're not on voyages."

Henry arched an eyebrow. "Jim?"

Tabitha glanced between him and the broken bowl. "My husband."

He blinked, letting out a shocked laugh. "You're _married_ now? Stars above, how time flies… Why didn't you correct me when I called you by your maiden name earlier?"

"Oh…" She brushed the broken dish into the dustpan and shrugged. "I guess I just didn't think about it. My new name is Hawkins."

"Tabitha Hawkins," he repeated thoughtfully. "Married to Jim Hawkins... Hold on - the same Jim Hawkins who - ?"

"Discovered Flint's Trove? Yes, the same. That's actually the voyage we met on."

"Ah, I see… I suppose that makes sense; you were always Silver's girl, and he was on that voyage of course. I'd simply assumed that since I hadn't heard about you specifically, you'd been off doing your own thing by then."

"No, I just… I mean, the only people you really hear about are Captain Amelia because she was the captain, Silver because he was in charge of the mutiny, and Jim because he was the one who found the map. And figured out how to open it. And saved the crew…"

Henry laughed, albeit a bit awkwardly. "Sounds like you found… quite a man there."

Tabitha tried to stay cheery despite all this talk of the one person she did _not_ want to be thinking about. "Yeah... But, um, anyway, that's what I'm doing here. Jim's mom owns the inn, and we help her out when we're not on voyages."

"Ah! I see…" He gave her silhouette a once over as she turned to throw the broken dish away, but quickly met her gaze again when she turned back around. "I was wondering if your love of the stars had disappeared. I'm glad to hear it hasn't." She gave him a small, vague smile and he grinned right back, walking over to the sink and rolling up his sleeves. "So where is this famous Jim Hawkins I keep hearing about?"

Her shoulders fell, but she laughed mirthlessly in an attempt to keep the conversation light. "I wish I knew… And you don't have to help me do the dishes. I've got it. Years of experience as a cabin girl, remember?"

"Wish you knew?" he repeated skeptically. "Tabitha, I don't know firsthand, but I think usually married couples keep track of one another… And I want to help you. It's not as if I've got much else to do here."

"Well… thanks, I guess. Um… yeah, well... we do usually – keep track of each other, I mean. Usually he's up here with me, but..." she sighed. "He's not today."

"Lover's quarrel?"

Tabitha froze with a wet plate in her hand. "What… How… Wh-Why would you - ?"

"It's fairly obvious," he said with a kind smile, taking the plate from her and drying it off. "He's not here, and I learned the hard way what you look like when you're upset."

She started slightly; she hadn't realized she'd been so readable – at least not to someone she hadn't seen in so long. Then, before she could stop herself, her eyes were tearing up. "Damn it," she laughed, pressing her palms to her eyes. "Sorry, I just..."

With her hands covering her eyes, she hadn't noticed Henry reaching out for her, but suddenly she was enveloped in his hug. She tensed, unsure of what she thought about this (especially given their… odd history)… but he seemed to just be hugging her – the same way Graham or someone would do – just as a friend. She relaxed, letting out an awkward laugh. "I can't believe I'm crying over something so ridiculous in the arms of someone I haven't seen in almost ten years."

The vibrations of his laugh echoed through his chest as he pulled her in tighter. "It's more than alright, I assure you, and I don't believe this is something ridiculous. You had a fight – you have every right to be upset now."

This whole exchange was weird to her… but she didn't see any reason to object since he was just being friendly. Either she was more exhausted than she realized, or more time went by faster than she thought because suddenly she realized she was dozing in and out of sleep as her head rested against his shoulder and his hand stroked slow, peaceful motions across her back… She probably never would have known someone else had entered the kitchen if they hadn't spoken up.

"Uh… hey there?"

Tabitha pulled away to see Graham and Jim standing in the doorway. Graham was glancing back and forth at everyone else while Jim was simply glaring. "Hey yourself," she snapped, pulling away from Henry and walking over towards them. "Where were you all day?"

Graham held up his hands in surrender. "We went solar surfing because Jim wanted to clear his head. I forgot I'd told you we'd be right back. Sorry, it was all my fault."

She sighed heavily, but accepted this. "Just go see if Sarah needs any help with anything else, and you owe me big."

"Fair enough," Graham smiled, giving one last nervous glance to Jim before leaving the room.

Tabitha turned to look at Jim, who was glaring daggers at Henry. "Well?" she questioned impatiently.

"Who the hell are you?" Jim blurted out.

Tabitha's eyes widened, her face flushing in humiliation. "Jim!"

"It's alright, Tabitha," Henry said, holding up a hand to assure her. "My name is Henry, Henry Albright." He held out his hand, but all Jim did was glare at it, then at him again, so Henry awkwardly dropped it back to his side. "Ah… I was just talking with an old friend."

"Unless you're back here working off a tab you couldn't pay, then get out," Jim demanded.

Henry gave a cordial nod. "My apologies." He turned to Tabitha and smiled. "I hope to speak with you again soon, perhaps under better circumstances."

Tabitha nodded, giving him an apologetic smile. Barely waiting until Henry was out the door, she turned on Jim. "What the _hell_ was that about?"

"Who the _hell_ was that?" he mocked.

"Maybe you'd know if you'd decided to show up today," she snipped, marching past him and into the dining room to gather up more dirty dishes. It was only a second before she heard the door swing again and knew Jim had followed her.

"Is this the same Henry that tried to get you in bed when you were thirteen?" he accused.

Tabitha blanched, sparing an apologetic glance at the few stray guests still left loitering around before snapping around (thankful that she didn't see Henry amongst them) and roughly pushing Jim back into the kitchen. "Yes, actually, it is, and if you'd care to remember the whole story, you'd remember that he didn't know I was thirteen."

"Oh, right," Jim snorted, crossing his arms. "And does he not know that you're married now?"

"Of course he does!"

"Then what was that scene I walked in on?"

She stared at him like he'd completely lost his mind. "It's called a hug. It doesn't mean I plan to crawl under the sheets with him."

"Good to know, but I was worried about whatever he's planning. I don't want him getting any ideas about you."

"Even if he does, it won't matter, because they're never going to happen," she reasoned, attempting to go back to the dishes before a loud scoff from Jim stopped her in her tracks. "What? Do you not trust me?"

"Yeah, I do, but that's not the point! The point is that whether they happen or not, I don't want him thinking them about my wife, so don't lead him on."

Tabitha's jaw dropped in indignation. "It was just a hug!"

"Whatever," he mumbled as he started to leave the room.

"Why are you being so controlling?" she shouted after him.

He stopped, and looked over his shoulder at her. "Controlling?"

"Yes, controlling! Trying to keep me from going on that trip, trying to keep Henry from thinking about me – "

"Because I love you, Tabitha," he countered, sounding more upset than annoyed now.

She stared him down. "If you love me, you should trust me."

"_I do trust you!_ I'm trying to – " The glare she was giving him convinced him she wasn't buying it. He tightened his jaw and got to the point. "Look, I didn't like the way he was holding you, okay? He looked like he was enjoying it way too much." That smug smile Henry had been wearing might have escaped Tabitha's sights, but Jim had seen it plain as day; it was a smile guys only wore when they got exactly what they wanted.

"Yeah, well, maybe if you'd bothered to show up today, he wouldn't have been the one holding me." She threw her apron at him, pushing past him to leave the kitchen.

That hit Jim – hard. He absentmindedly fingered the fabric of the apron, remaining frozen just inside the doorway. How was he ever going to be able to fix this? He'd meant to come back and try to work through this with her, but that plan had quickly changed when she found another man holding her. That was _his_ job. That had always _been_ his job. If it had been Silver comforting her, or even Graham, he would have been fine, but it was _Henry_ of all people. A guy she hadn't seen in… what? Eight years? Jim didn't even think they'd ended on good terms – hadn't he just been trying to seduce her the last time? What in hell gave him the right to comfort her, to hold her?

The fact that she was more comfortable with him than she was with her own husband twisted Jim's stomach into knots of fear and concern, and made him all the more aware that he had no idea how to fix things between himself and Tabitha.

* * *

"We should talk."

Tabitha had sprung the topic on him the moment Jim opened the door to their home. He hesitated before stepping the rest of the way in, slowly closing the door behind him. "Yeah," he agreed. "We should."

Tabitha bit her lip, unsure of where to start.

"So are you and Henry friends now?" Jim asked cautiously.

"I guess so," she shrugged. "I mean, we haven't seen each other since I was thirteen, and I know he was a womanizer back then so I'm assuming he's the same now… but he was always pretty nice to me – even after he found out he wasn't going to get me in bed with him," she added for Jim's disbelieving look. "A-And surely he wouldn't try to pick me up now that I'm married."

Jim scoffed. "Yeah, I'm not so sure about that."

"And even if he _did_," Tabitha began impatiently. "It's not like I would agree to anything."

"I _know_ that, Tabitha," Jim groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You know, just… forget it. Let's just drop it, okay?"

"Are… Are you sure you want to?"

"Well, I don't want to keep arguing about this stuff that's totally pointless."

"It's not pointless!" she rebutted. "I'm upset, and I know that you're mad. We… We obviously need to work on something."

Jim just barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. "Fine. Why are you upset? Besides the fact I'm not letting you go on the voyage."

"You can't – " Tabitha stopped herself from arguing that Jim didn't get to 'let' her do things and starting that whole argument up again. "Do you honestly not know?" Jim stared blankly at her. "You weren't there," she explained, obviously annoyed that Jim hadn't been able to figure that out on his own. "You just disappeared for a whole day. I sent Graham after you, and then he didn't come back either. There were forty people in Henry's crew, plus the usual rush, and we had to handle it all without you."

"_That's_ why you're mad?"

Tabitha tightened her fists at the undertone of ridicule in his voice. "Yes, Jim. That's why I'm mad. That combined with how you think you're going to keep me from Ciaran, and the way you acted like such a jerk to Henry for no reason - that is exactly why I'm mad. You aren't fifteen anymore! You don't get to run away every time you have a problem."

There were about five different points he wanted to argue there, but he chose the main one that was at hand. "I wasn't running away! I was just trying to cool off. Graham came with me so I could talk to him."

"That doesn't make it okay that you skipped out on work – "

"It's not like that's a real job or something!"

"That's your excuse? It's not a real job?" She stared him down until he finally turned his eyes away. "Did it ever cross your mind that I might be worried about you?"

"_Worried?_"

"Graham went to come get you, and then I didn't see either of you for the entire day - "

"What did you think happened to us?" he inquired, trying not to sound as aggravated as he was. "Look, I'm sorry you guys got overwhelmed at the inn today. I'll help out more tomorrow. I just needed to think. I was trying not to make this fight any worse than it already was."

"Well, great job on that," she muttered under her breath.

Jim's glared at her, gesturing to himself. "So this is all _my_ fault now? It's not as if you're helping!"

"What the hell do you think I'm doing right now?" she furiously inquired. "You think I wanted to listen to you yell at me some more? I'm trying to end this!"

"Yeah, well excuse me for not being able to tell between all the shouting and snide remarks."

"You are just – " Tabitha shook her head in disgust and stopped herself. "Just forget it."

As she stormed into the kitchen, Jim immediately followed her. "Forget what?"

"I'm trying to talk this out, but all you seem to be able to do is yell at me and make smart-ass comments," she answered over her shoulder.

"_Excuse me? _That's exactly what you're doing!"

"Because I'm frustrated and you won't listen to me!" she shouted, turning to face him once again.

"Well how do you think I feel?" She crossed her arms and stared him down, letting him know that, at the moment, she didn't give a damn about how he felt. He closed his eyes and let out a slow breath. "If you want to work this out, then we have to do it together, and that means you can't just storm into another room in the middle of our conversation."

"This is _not_ a conversation, Jim! This is a fight. It's not getting us anywhere, and you're making everything worse!"

"Well maybe we'd be able to _have_ a conversation if you would stop yelling at me for just a minute," he snapped.

"You're the one yelling!"

"Yeah, now I am, because you're pissing me off!"

"_I'm _pissing _you _off?" she bitterly mocked. "I haven't done a damned thing to you! You were the one who didn't want me to go on this trip. You were the one who skipped out today. You were the one who overreacted about Henry – "

"It's not an overreaction when I see my wife flirting with another man!"

"Flirting? _Flirting?_ You – " Biting her lip to hold back all the insults she had at the ready, she turned on her heel and stormed into the bedroom. "I'll show you flirting."

Jim just barely heard that mumbled comment, but he did, and it took him to a whole new level of pissed off. Grinding his teeth, he followed after her. "Stop walking away from me!" Still she ignored him. "You can't be serious! Are you really going to try to flirt with him to make me jealous? Do you like us fighting? Are you enjoying this or something? And what the hell are you doing?" he added as he watched her unmake the bed.

"Making room for Henry," she quipped simply to get a rise out of him.

Tensing his jaw, he stormed over to her, grabbing her arm to stop her from unfolding the sheets anymore. "That is _not_ funny, Tabitha. Stop joking about that!"

"Let go of me!" she shouted, yanking away from his grasp. "Don't you dare touch me! I don't want you to touch me, or look at me, o-or be anywhere near me!"

A bit of shock seeped into Jim's anger when she grabbed his pillow and shoved into his arms. "Wha - ?"

"Obviously, that little vacation you took today didn't change a thing and you still need to cool off."

"Look who's talking!" he shot back.

"And comments like that are exactly the reason I don't want to be anywhere near you while you're acting like this."

Jim's jaw dropped as he caught what she was trying to tell him. "Are you _serious_?"

"What?" She crossed her arms adamantly. "You're planning to spend over a month in space without me, right? Consider this practice."

In the silence that followed him stalking out of the room and slamming the door behind him, it took Tabitha less than three seconds for her resolve to fail and the tears to start up again. "Damn it," she cursed in a ragged breath, rushing off to the washroom just so she could let some of her anger out by slamming the washroom door as hard as she possibly could.

Jim didn't care that he'd shut their door hard enough to rattle windows, but when he heard that first sob that escaped her, he froze in his tracks. Standing in the alcove just outside their door, he hesitated, glancing over his shoulder at the door to the bedroom… before sighing heavily and walking away, just before he heard the washroom door slam as well.

* * *

Jim had been awoken in many unpleasant ways in his life – by the Flatula back on the _Legacy_, by his drill sergeant one morning at the academy when he'd overslept, by his mother beating down his door in the middle of the night because a guest had shown up and they need to be hospitable and make them something to eat. None of those had been fun, but Jim was certain that waking up to the sound of his angry wife yanking the front door closed behind her as hard as possible was by far the worst.

It took a moment for recognition to kick in and remind him he was sleeping on the couch and he was the reason she was throwing doors closed in the first place so he couldn't very well be upset with her for waking him. The clock told him it was still early (Very early. What was Tabitha doing awake at 4:30 in the morning anyway?), and he really had no inclination to follow her right now, so he rolled over and pulled the blankets back around him, pushing the guilt he felt to the back of his mind for now.

Tabitha hadn't really expected him to run after her or try to apologize right now, and she was really glad he didn't. She wasn't fuming like she had been the night before, but she was still angry and confused and hurt, and she really didn't think that trying to discuss this while she was still so emotional was going to be a good idea. Not to mention she was so exhausted she could barely think straight. At least she'd managed to sleep… if you could consider dozing off for twenty-minute intervals that only lead to a fitful rests of dark, unpleasant dreams "sleep" that is.

"Easy, lass!" Silver caught her with his cyborg arm when she tripped walking into the kitchen. "Yer fallin' all over the place today!"

It was true. She'd tripped up the steps that morning, she'd ran into a chair and nearly toppled over it, she'd stumbled into one of the customers and knocked their food out of their hand, resulting in a lot of apologizing and a meal on the house. "Yeah… sorry," she mumbled.

She started to walk away, but he didn't let her go. "Hold it – " Silver grabbed her shoulder and turned her back around, beginning to frown as he surveyed her.

"What?" she asked impatiently. "Silver, I have work to do."

"When was t'e last time ya slept, Tabby?"

Tabitha had to turn her eyes away from his harsh look, knowing she couldn't lie to his face. "Last night…"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "When was t'e last time ya slept _well_?"

The fact that she didn't give a vocal response was an answer in and of itself.

Silver sighed. "You an' Jimbo still fightin'?"

She nodded.

"'Bout t'e trip?"

Another small nod.

He sighed impatiently, pulling his apron off and tossing it on the counter. "You finish makin' t'e stew. I'll go talk t' 'im."

"But, wait – Silver, no – "

When he left without paying any attention to her pleas, she sighed, giving in and stepping up to the stove to stir the soup. She began to count the number of times she stirred it – 1, 2, 3 to the right; 1, 2, 3 to the left… It wasn't exactly necessary, but it was keeping her mind focused on something other than Jim or Henry or Silver… Tabitha didn't even realize the counting was lulling her to sleep until a loud horn suddenly sounded off in her ear. She gasped, jumping about a foot in the air as she looked around wildly for the cause of the noise before finally spotting the giggling pink blob hovering just above her head.

"Morph…" she sighed, reaching up to grab him. "Was that really necessary?"

Morph squeaked a bit and shrugged before beginning to snicker again.

"Where have you been?" He transformed into a tiny image of the Doppler kids. "Oh, helping babysit."

Morph shifted back to himself and nodded in approval. Suddenly, his tone became a bit more worried. He looked around, then morphed into the form of Jim.

Trying not to let any sadness register with her, she managed a half smile. "He's at our house. I'm sure he'll be up later."

Morph cheered wildly, squealing something that might have been a farewell to Tabitha before darting for the door, just as Henry opened it.

"Whoa!" Henry jumped when the tiny blob zipped past him, and then smirked at Tabitha. "Huh. I was wondering if that little guy was still around."

"Well… he is," Tabitha shrugged.

Henry glanced around the room, then back into the dining room. "Is it okay for me to be in here?"

She sighed. "Yeah, it's fine. I mean, normally we don't let customers back here, but I know you – I doubt anyone will notice or care… And I'm really, really sorry about Jim yesterday. I don't understand what's gotten into him."

"It's alright, Tabitha. There's no reason for _you_ to be apologizing," he smirked. "But perhaps you could make it up to me by taking the rest of the day off to spend time with me. I'd like to catch up with you."

"Oh…" She hesitated, glancing around as she silently debated whether to go with him or not.

"I believe your friend said he owed you one, correct?" Henry continued. "Perhaps he'd be willing to take over for you."

Tabitha stared at him for a second. The logical part of her told her that going with Henry now was exactly the wrong thing to do… but the part of her that wanted to spite Jim was louder and much more enticing.

* * *

"What's t'is I hear about you an' Tabby fightin'?"

The loud voice startled Jim enough to make him flip off the couch, crashing to the floor tangled up in the blanket. "What?" he groaned, clenching his eyes shut so they didn't have to try to adjust to daylight streaming in from between the curtains.

"What's t'is about you an' Tabby fightin'?" Silver repeated, staring down at the young man who was slowly picking himself up off the floor. "T'is still about t'e trip to Ciaran?"

Jim sighed as he stood up. "Yeah. Tabitha isn't too happy about having to stay home… What are you doing here? How did you get in?"

"Ya gave yer mum a spare key," Silver reminded. "And I came t' tell ya t'e trip's off."

"_What?_" Jim very nearly shouted. "You can't just – "

"I ain't gonna ruin t'ings between you an' Tabby jus' so I can go see Nessie."

"Yeah? Well, I'm the captain, and I say we're going. Tabitha just… has to get over it."

Silver frowned at the young man's attitude as he watched him fold up the quilt he'd slept with. "Askin' Tabby to stay was just a suggestion, lad. I t'ink it would be better, but I'm not so sure it's worth – "

"Oh, it's worth it. She's staying," Jim said finitely.

The father-in-law crossed his arms and stared down at the younger man, but Jim was too stubborn to budge on his decision. "Don't do anyt'ing stupid, James," he finally sighed.

Jim watched him leave out the front door, but quickly shook off all concern over what Silver had said. Realizing it was nearly time for his shift to start anyway, he got ready and headed up to the inn, sparing a quick welcome to his mom and Abigail as he walked through the dining room and into the kitchen. "Alright, you can – "

Graham glanced up at Jim, then went back to serving the stew into bowls. "I was wondering when you'd show up. Look, can you take these out to table nine – "

"Where's Tabitha?" Jim questioned, completely ignoring anything Graham had just said.

"Hanging out with Henry."

If Graham said anything else, Jim didn't bother paying attention to it before he rushed out of the room.

* * *

"So you discovered Treasure Planet, went to the Interstellar Academy, graduated in only three years, graduated _Valedictorian_ on top of that, and got married," Henry concluded after Tabitha's quick recap of her life since she'd last seen Henry. He chuckled, leaning over to place his coffee mug back on the table in front of the couch they were on. "Anything else?"

"That's it, more or less," she shrugged, deciding not to even start trying to explain the Reddend Fortune and the exceedingly long and personal story of her past that went with it. "What about you? What have you been up to?"

"Well, I don't know how you expect me to top that," he laughed, reclining and laying his arm on the back of the couch. "I've simply been spacing. As I told you yesterday, I moved up to captain when my father died, but that's been the only change really."

"No exciting adventures? No romance?" she teased.

"Not even remotely." When she shot him a skeptical look, his smile fell into a frown of confusion. "What?"

Tabitha rolled her eyes. "Henry, you were a regular Don Juan the last time we spaced together. Unless you've settled down, I find it hard to believe that's changed."

Henry stared at her for a moment, then smirked. "Alright, you caught me. I was going to avoid that subject at the risk of poisoning innocents."

She shot him a skeptical look. "I'm not thirteen anymore. I think I'm far from an innocent by now."

"Oh, is that so?" he asked slyly. "Little Miss Tabitha been having a few sexual exploits of her own, has she?"

Tabitha blushed. "I-I didn't say that!"

"Oh, calm down, love. I'm only teasing," he laughed, playfully patting her knee.

The way he'd called her 'love' still had her attention when she realized his hand was still resting on her knee, or actually just above her knee now.

"What the hell is going on?"

Tabitha and Henry both jerked around to see Jim standing in the doorway of the den, like some sixth sense had told him now was the perfect time to catch his wife in a somewhat compromising situation with another man… A sixth sense that probably came in the form of a certain friend or family member, Tabitha realized.

Henry moved his hand away and calmly looked at Jim. "Hello, Jim. I was just talking with Tabitha. She's – "

"I wasn't talking to you," Jim snapped at him.

"Jim, stop it!" Tabitha snapped, pushing herself to her feet.

"My apologies," Henry said innocently. "I'm sorry to have – "

"No, don't apologize to him," she interrupted, keeping her glare boring into Jim.

Jim was too busy giving Henry a death glare to notice his wife's though. "He better apologize, because he's going to be sorry if I – "

The second he'd continued to attack Henry, she'd marched over to him, cutting him short when she grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room, down the hallway, and into the coat closet. "What is wrong with you?" she hissed. "Just because you're – "

"What the hell are we doing in a closet?" he interrupted, pushing heavy winter coats out of his way.

"Getting some privacy, because I like to keep our fights between us and not drag random people into it."

"Wha – Henry? Our fight has nothing to do with why I'm mad at him," he lied. "I'm mad because he thinks he can just walk in here and win you over like he did when you were younger."

"Exactly! _When I was younger._ Besides the fact that I'm _married_, I'm also older and smarter. Do you honestly think I won't notice him hitting on me?"

"Apparently not since he was just doing it!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

He rolled his eyes, scoffing at how senseless she seemed. "He had his hand on your thigh, Tabitha. Don't act like you didn't notice that."

Tabitha stared at him like he'd just sprouted another head. "Do you need an anatomy lesson? That was my _knee_, Jim."

"It was above your knee, and actually, I don't give a damn where it was because I don't want him touching you at all."

"All he did was pat my leg!"

Jim rolled his eyes. "So I just happened to walk in at the wrong time, is that what you're trying to tell me?"

"Yes, actually! It is! It's not like I was letting him feel me up until you walked into the room – "

"Yeah? So what would have happened if I hadn't walked in when I did?"

"Stars, Jim!" she said impatiently. "Do you actually think I'm going to cheat on you?"

"You said that you were going to flirt with him," he bitterly reminded her.

Tabitha's rebuttal was stopped short when the door to the closet flew open and they were both pulled out into the hallway.

"Hey!" Jim objected, trying to pull out of the hold someone had on him.

"Both o' ya need t' shut yer yaps. Now," Silver said in a low, threatening voice. "T'e guests are startin' to complain 'bout all the yellin'."

"Yeah, but – " Jim started.

"We weren't – " Tabitha spoke at the same time.

"I don't want to hear it," Silver interrupted both of them. "Get outside, t'e both o' ya. We're puttin' an' end to this."

He shoved them towards the back door and they both reluctantly stormed outside and onto the back porch. Abigail, who'd been reading a book in one of the chairs out there, stood up as they walked out. "What's going on?"

"Jim's gone insane, that's what's going on," Tabitha mumbled.

"You're the one that's lost her damn mind!" Jim shot back.

"Alright, both o' ya!" Silver shouted as he too stepped outside. "What t'e devil has gotten into t'e pair o' ya?"

Jim and Tabitha glanced at each other, then quickly looked in the opposite direction. Jim shoved his hands into his pocket with a loud sigh while Tabitha crossed her arms.

"What's going on with you two?" Abigail questioned.

Silver sighed. "Jim asked Tabby not t' come to Ciaran – "

"Like hell he did!" Tabitha decided to speak up, turning around to look at everyone again. "He _told_ me he wouldn't _let_ me come."

"I'm trying to keep you safe!" Jim shouted at her.

"I don't need you keeping me safe, and I certainly don't need you making decisions for me!"

"I'm not going to see you get hurt just because you're too stubborn to do the sensible thing. I'm the captain, and I say you're staying here."

Tabitha's mouth fell open as she threw her hands up in the air, looking to her parents as if to ask, 'Is it me?'

Abigail and Silver exchanged an anxious look. "Tabitha, dear…" Abigail began cautiously. "I don't think it's entirely unreasonable for Jim to want to keep you safe."

"That's not the part I have a problem with," Tabitha explained. "If he wants to protect me, he should just do it there."

"Tabitha, what part of this do you not understand?" Jim yelled, storming over to her. "There's a difference between _knowing you're safe_ here and _trying to keep you safe_ there!"

"So it's fine for me to stay home and worry about you, just as long as you don't have to worry about me?"

He sighed in frustration and walked away a few steps. "Can you please talk some sense into her?" he asked Silver.

Silver rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of how to approach the subject, so Abigail took over. "Tabitha, I think you're forgetting that the reason it's dangerous for you is because you're a young lady. That's what makes the trip especially dangerous for you."

"I know, but the planet's dangerous either way. Something could still happen to Jim, whether I'm there or not, and I'd rather be there with him… just in case something goes wrong," she explained.

"But by coming, you're putting everyone in more danger and making it more likely that something will go wrong," Jim added, keeping his back to her.

"Just stop it now," Silver interrupted. "No sense in talkin' yerself in circles."

As the two young adults both turned away from each other again, Abigail tried something else. "Maybe you two could work out some sort of compromise."

"Like what?" Jim and Tabitha asked in unison, then quickly glared at each other, as if irritated that the other one had stolen what they said.

"Well… perhaps you could shorten the trip. If you stayed only a couple of days on Ciaran, then Jim, you could make it back that much sooner. Plus, the less time you spend on that planet, the less likely something will happen."

"Something could still happen," Tabitha mumbled.

Abigail sighed and carefully approached her daughter, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Tabitha… if you think about it, there are some good sides to the idea of you staying home. Everyone will be under a lot less stress if they aren't constantly concerned about your welfare, and with the holidays around, Sarah's going to need some help around here… Not to mention this will be good practice for when you and Jim have children. Aren't you two planning to take turns voyaging after that?"

Jim could almost hear the air leave Tabitha. He could picture perfectly the frightened, heartbroken expression she was surely wearing now, but he was too stubborn to look at her. Before his conscience even had time to guilt trip him, she'd rushed back into the house, leaving her parents and him alone in the tense air that still hung around the porch.

"What was t'at about?" Silver questioned, looking to his wife and Jim to see if maybe he'd missed something.

Abigail shook her head, as lost as he was. "I don't understand… Did I say something wrong?"

"It wasn't your fault." Jim waited a second before actually turning to face them, trying to remain expressionless. "She… She's just got this idea in her head that we might not be able to have kids, and… I don't know, it's kind of a touchy subject."

Abigail was speechless for a moment… and when she did speak, her voice was barely audible. "Why does she think that?"

The young man sighed, suddenly sounding worn out and defeated instead of bitter and resentful. "I guess because it hasn't happened yet, but – "

"Yet?" his mother-in-law repeated. "Heavens, I didn't even realize the two of you were trying."

"Well, I wouldn't say we were trying exactly, but… we've been married two years, and we were never, you know… avoiding it. It was always a possibility, and we were just going to see what happened and roll with the punches. Now that it's been so long and it hasn't happened… and Cason and Rylee already have Jordan..."

Silver had only half listened to the last part of Jim's explanation; he'd been too focused on Abigail and her reaction. For a moment, she'd seemed fine, but then she picked up her old nervous habits – tugging on the ends of her sleeves, crossing her arms over herself. When her eyes glazed over, he frowned, reaching out and rubbing her upper arm. "Abby?"

Abigail looked back up at him, blinking away her daze. "Oh…" she said, as if just remembering where she was. "I'm alright."

Silver wasn't a bit convinced. He frowned as he brushed a stray tear off her cheek with his thumb. "Get back inside. I'll be in soon."

As Abigail nodded and quickly rushed off, Jim curiously looked to Silver for an explanation. "What…? Is she okay?"

"She'll be fine. Now, back t' you an' Tabby," Silver said quickly enough to keep Jim from asking anything else about Abigail. "Ya can't keep t'is up. Fightin' ain't gonna do any good."

"It's not like I want to fight with her. I just want her to understand – "

"And what d' ya t'ink she wants, lad? Hmm?" Silver's rebuttal silenced any more complaints from Jim. "Until t'e two o' ya can work t'is out, I say ya split yer shifts – one o' ya can come work in t'e morning, one at night. Ye'll switch up at lunch."

Jim let out a heavy sigh, half-shrugging in acceptance as he stared at the door Tabitha had left through moments before.

"Now, since Tabby's run off t' who knows where and because she hadn't been sleepin', I say you take t'e shift now an' she'll have t'e morning shift tomorrow."

"Whatever," he mumbled as he headed back indoors before his father-in-law could chastise him anymore. After walking through a few rooms in the house and seeing no signs of Tabitha, he decided she'd probably headed home without him having to tell her of the new plan, so he sat off for the kitchen.

"Are you actually here to work this time, or are you about to run off again?" Graham asked in a way that was hard to decipher whether he was teasing or annoyed.

Jim flat out ignored the inquiry, just pulled on an apron and set to work stacking food onto trays. "Why did you take over Tabitha's shift this morning?"

"I owed her one from yesterday, and she wanted to hang out with Henry, so she got me to cover."

Jim very nearly dropped the bowls he was holding. "You _let_ her go with him?"

Graham arched an eyebrow. "No, I physically restrained her and forced her to work back here. Of course I let her go - what kind of question is that?"

"Then let me ask you this – _why_?"

"Why?" Graham repeated, holding Jim's gaze defiantly. "Oh, gee, I don't know. Maybe because they're old friends."

"They're not old friends! Hell, they're barely even new friends. He's just taking advantage of her."

"How?" Graham asked, honestly confused by Jim's logic. "By wanting to spend time with her? Or is this about how he hugged her yesterday? Oh, wait – it doesn't matter, because either way, _you're overreacting._ Just calm down, Hawkins."

Jim slammed the dishes back to the counter. "Look, don't tell me to calm down! He knows we're fighting, and he's using it as an excuse to spend as much time as he can with her."

"That's not an excuse, Jim. That's logic. You're fighting with her, while he seems to be genuinely interested in her. Who do you think she'd rather hang out with?"

The frustrated young man released a heavy sigh of aggravation as he picked up the trays to take them into the dining room. "Just forget it."

Graham rolled his eyes and turned back to the stove. "Maybe if you stopped acting like such an ass, the two of you could make up already, and then she'd go back to treating Henry as an acquaintance."

"You shouldn't have let her go with him," Jim half-mumbled.

Without warning, Graham slammed his hand down on the counter as he held a finger up to his friend. "_Don't_ start that bullshit with me, Hawkins. Just because Henry's an asshole and you and Tabitha are fighting doesn't mean you can start up with me too. I'm not Tabitha's babysitter, and I'm not about to interfere on your behalf." When Jim refused to respond, he sighed and added, "She's just doing it to piss you off. It's not like she would ever actually – "

"I know she wouldn't. I'm not worried about that," Jim suddenly snapped. "I don't want Henry getting the idea that he can get away with whatever he wants."

"Pretty sure he had that idea before he ever walked into the inn," his friend pointed out. "But come on – he wouldn't try anything, not with you and Silver and me, not to mention Tabitha can hold her own if she needs to. It would be a total suicide if he pushed it too far."

Jim thought this all through for a moment – how she was just doing it to make him mad, how all he had to do was apologize and try to compromise with her… A moment later, he lifted the trays again, mumbling another, "Forget it," as he left the room.

* * *

Silver had made the plan, and they agreed to it, albeit a bit reluctantly. They knew it was probably for the best, but they couldn't say they really enjoyed admitting they needed to stay away from each other for a while. Even so, it was true, so Jim finished off the first day, and Tabitha took the shift the next morning. Then Jim did the afternoon and the morning after that, so Tabitha took that night. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth… The only thing no one had thought about was that their unstable sleep schedules were doing nothing to alleviate their stress; lack of sleep, frustration over the situation as a whole, the tension with Henry there, and the fact that they couldn't make themselves work out a compromise had them turning everything into a fight.

"Hey, get up."

Jim groaned and rolled over. "What?"

"Get up," Tabitha harshly repeated. "You were supposed to be at the inn an hour ago."

With a frustrated groan, Jim pushed himself up and headed to the bedroom to get ready. As he was finishing up, Tabitha suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"Do you know what day we're leaving to go to Ciaran?" she asked.

Jim didn't even bother to look at her as he continued pulling on his belt. "I know what day _I'm_ leaving."

Tabitha shook her head, trying to keep herself from yelling. "So you really like the way things are right now? You like sleeping on the couch, splitting shifts at the inn, never spending time with one another?"

Jim scoffed. "Yeah, it's been the best week of my life. Will you move?" he growled as he tried to walk out the door.

She stepped to the side and let him pass. "How long are you planning to keep this up?" When he didn't acknowledge her question, she followed him into the living room. "Don't act like you can't hear me!"

But that's exactly what he did. He kept walking, not wasting time with a coat or scarf. It may have seemed harsh and rude, but he was certain that responding to her, no matter what he said, would be worse. He might have been wrong though, because spending the whole day feeling guilty about it was no picnic either. In fact, by the time he was actually taking supper out to the guests, he'd made the decision he would apologize for that.

That plan was shot to hell when he arrived back home late that night and found Tabitha already asleep in their bed. A smile unwittingly graced his lips as he noticed she was latched onto the pillow the same way she usually snuggled up to him. So she must miss him… or something like that, right?

He didn't even make a conscious decision to approach her, but then there he was, carefully taking a seat on the edge of the bed. Reaching out, he brushed her hair over her ear, his land lingering and gently fingering the ends of the golden-brown strands.

"Tabitha…" He paused when he realized he had no idea where he was going with that. The apology seemed like a stupid and pointless thing to say now… Stroking the backs of his fingers down her bare arm, he realized what he needed to say, what he hadn't had the chance to tell her in days. "Look, I know… that you kind of hate me right now, but…" Jim sighed, disappointed in himself and the fact he was having such a hard time saying this. "I love you. I-I just wanted to say it because I hadn't said it in a while and I didn't want you to… forget or… doubt it or whatever. I love you, a-and I know it probably doesn't seem like it, but just remember that I'm doing all of this because I love you… and I just want you to be safe."

Though Tabitha was awake enough to hear everything, to feel him press a gentle kiss to her cheek, to listen to his footsteps leaving the room, the door slowly closing… she did nothing. Nothing except wait until he was out of the room before she gave up her fight against crying.

"Tabitha…"

She would have sworn that Jim had just been there, that she'd only been asleep for a few minutes. She groaned and rolled over, moaning complaints about being woken up. "What?"

"It's time for your shift at the inn."

Tabitha opened her eyes to find Jim standing over her. "Oh…"

"Yeah, you were supposed to be up there a while ago."

"Damn it," she groaned as she pushed herself out of bed. As she caught sight of the clock, she realized she really was supposed to be up there a while ago… approximately four hours ago.

She wasn't going to address it, but Jim saw her staring at the time and spoke up first. "It's, ah… no big deal. I figured you were probably sleeping, and I thought if you were that tired, I should… you know, let you."

Tabitha glanced over at him and realized how nervous he looked: he was rubbing the back of his neck, turning his gaze to anywhere but her… It was the same kind of nervousness he used to pick up when he would do something nice for her but was unsure how she would react. Like the indoor picnic he'd done for her birthday last year, or the first time he ever bought her flowers, or when he'd proposed and wasn't sure she'd like the engagement ring…

"Yeah," she finally blurted out. "I… I-I've been pretty tired. I mean, I've been asleep for a while now… but – "

"But our sleep schedules are… messed up."

"Yeah."

They stared at each other for a moment, their faces and minds blank and unsure of what to do. Jim stopped acting quite as nervous, dropping his hand to his side as he cleared his throat. "So, um… I-I'm pretty tired now, so I'll… I-I'm going to sleep."

"Yeah, y-you should go… Get some rest," she agreed.

He gave her a sort of unsure, half-smile and left. Tabitha watched him go, sighing and wondering why she felt so guilty… After showering and getting ready, she headed into the living room to fetch her boots and coat. She tiptoed into the living room, trying not to wake Jim in case he had managed to fall asleep. She stopped by the front door to pull on her warm clothes, the whole time watching her husband. The blanket he'd had over him had apparently fallen at some point. At first, she didn't think he'd even noticed, but then he sucked in a shuddering breath and rolled to his side, pressing into the cushions of the back of the couch and wrapping his arms around himself to get warm.

With her hand on the doorknob in preparation to leave, she stared at him. Deciding once again not to head the pang of guilt her heart was showing, she opened the door. Immediately, she saw a shiver run down Jim's spine and he curled up tighter. Unable to stand it any longer, she shut the door and walked over to him; she felt guilty enough about everything as it was, she didn't need more reasons to hate herself.

Jim was still mostly asleep, but he knew that, all of a sudden, he'd gotten a lot warmer. He desperately grabbed onto the blanket that had been draped over him, pulling it to him tightly so it wouldn't fall again. Sleep was already starting to overtake again him when he felt fingertips brush across his forehead, pushing his bangs away from his eyes. It wasn't until he heard her gentle voice though that he really started to come to.

"Jim…" she began quietly. "I-I don't know if you remember that note I wrote you in the front of Treasure Planet… but I meant it, a-and I still mean it." She gulped and let out a sad sigh. "I am forever yours. I know I've been paying more attention to Henry, but it was mostly just to make you mad at first, a-and then it was because he's always up there and… you aren't." She couldn't believe it – was she seriously about to cry again? Biting back a sob, she quickly finished up. "But I'm with you. I love you, and… I-I'm all yours."

Jim wasn't so sure he wasn't about to cry himself… or maybe scream, or maybe… No, he wasn't about to kiss her. What was he thinking? Now was definitely not the time, no matter how much he wanted to.

When Tabitha leaned down to place a soft kiss against his forehead, she didn't expect him to be looking at her when he pulled back. Now she was at a sudden loss – what was she supposed to do? He was supposed to have slept through all that. She hesitated tried to judge his reaction, but Jim's expression was as blank and unsure as hers was. Biting her lip, she turned her eyes away. When he didn't say anything after a couple of seconds, she realized she had to.

"Thanks," she blurted out. "F-For letting me sleep in."

"Don't mention it," he quietly mumbled.

They caught each other's eye, then awkwardly turned away. Biting her lip, Tabitha stood once again and made for the door -

"We're leaving in three days."

She stopped a couple of feet away and slowly turned to look at him.

"Friday morning," he continued. "Commodore Aldamae stopped by today with all the paperwork for Silver."

"Oh."

"And, uh… Silver and Graham and I are going to the spaceport tomorrow to get some supplies, then Thursday we'll rest up and pack, and..."

"Leave Friday morning," she finished for him. He nodded, and another awkward moment passed between them. "Why are you telling me this?"

"You asked," Jim stated with an implied "obviously." "And we're still married... I'm not just going to up and leave without giving you a heads up."

"And by 'we' you mean…?" she continued.

"What?"

"You said 'we're leaving in three days' – who is 'we'?"

He hesitated, carefully considering what he could say to avoid another fight. "The people who are going."

She sighed heavily, reaching up to twist her hair. "Jim, we've got to do something about this, work out a compromise like Abigail said…"

Refusing to look at her now, he shook his head. "I… I don't think we should right now. My mom really needs help up at the inn, and…" And he was too tired to try to work this out now, but he didn't say that. "You should really get up there."

How was she supposed to take that? Was he trying to avoid the subject completely? Was he avoiding her? "Fine," she whispered.

Jim only managed to get a split second's glimpse of her before she was outside.

At least there'd been no door slamming this time.

* * *

"How would you like to take the day off tomorrow?"

To say Tabitha was caught off guard was an understatement; she'd been so focused on thinking through how to work things out with Jim that she hadn't even noticed Henry walk up to her, let alone comprehended what exactly it was he'd just said. "Wh-What?"

"A day off," he chuckled, following her as she made her way around to the tables and collected dirty dishes. "You work too much, Tabitha. And I'd like to have someone show me the sights."

"The sights of Montressor? We have cliffs – that's about it."

Henry laughed, as if unsure of whether she was joking or not. "Oh, come on. There must be something we could do around here!"

"Not really." She walked back to the kitchen, so he continued to follow her. "That's why the Benbow is always so crowded: it's one of the only places you can actually go, besides a couple of taverns – "

"Well, why not a tavern then?" he cheerfully suggested.

Arching an eyebrow, she began to get a bit suspicious of what it was he was after; a tavern was rarely considered a 'sight' one would show to visitors. "No… They're not exactly respectable or safe or anything."

"I'd be there to protect you, love."

Tabitha started to snap at him and tell him to quit calling her that… but it was probably just a nickname… force of habit, right? "I don't think Jim or Silver, or anyone else for that matter, would agree to that plan."

Henry frowned. "Yes, that's another thing I wanted to talk to you about… Why is it everyone's so protective of you? This trip I keep hearing about – they're not letting you go?"

"They're _trying_ not to," she corrected. "It hasn't been decided for sure yet. We want to work out a compromise – "

"A compromise of what? Why does he object so strongly to your going? Earlier you explained it like you always take all of your voyages together."

"Well, we do."

"So how is this any different?"

"It's more dangerous."

Henry stared at her for a second, then shook his head, looking away thoughtfully. "Excuse me – I'm sure it's not my place to say, but that's completely idiotic."

This piqued her curiosity. "What do you mean?"

"Too dangerous? For a girl who survived a supernova and a mutiny and… a planet's explosion? I'll agree that Ciaran is dangerous, but you could handle it, no problem."

"Wait, you've been?"

"Once or twice," he shrugged noncommittally. "It is rough… Then again, they'd be there to protect you too… What exactly is it that they're lacking confidence about?"

A wrinkle formed across her forehead and she started to chew on her lip. "I-I don't know really… They just care about me, I guess. Too many close calls on my life for them to consider taking unnecessary risks on it."

Henry rubbed at the five o'clock shadow around his chin. "You know, as it stands, my crew and I have no definite plans for our next voyage. We could very easily accompany you – provide you with extra protection, and there'd be no reason to be running yourselves ragged on a skeleton crew either."

Tabitha was shocked. "You'd really do that?"

"Of course! I'd hate to see talent, and beauty, like yours wasted by being stuck here where you're "safe.""

That didn't exactly sound like a comment made by a friend, she realized. Something about it made her stomach start to twist into knots, but she tried to play it cool. "I-I'll… run it by Jim and see what he thinks."

Henry's face fell to something resembling anger for the briefest of seconds, but then it was gone, replaced by the amused smirk he'd had before. "Well, I'll be holding my breath for news on how that suggestion goes over with him… But back to my original point – tomorrow?"

"Henry, I just can't. Besides the fact that there's nowhere to go, Jim and Silver and Graham will be at the spaceport getting supplies, so I really – "

"Oh, they will?"

Tabitha definitely wasn't sure she was comfortable with how intrigued he sounded about that, but when she glanced at him, he didn't look much more than curious. "Yeah… so I really should stay here and help Sarah."

"Well, that seems perfectly reasonable," Henry concluded. "Alright, so not tomorrow. Perhaps another time then?" And then before she could respond, he grabbed her hand, lifted it to his lips and placed a light kiss on it, then wandered away, calling out, "Goodnight, Tabitha," over his shoulder.

It was only a few seconds later when Graham suddenly came barging in to the kitchen, glaring at her, and she was jostled out of her confused thoughts on Henry. "What?"

"What the hell are you doing?" he questioned.

Her mouth fell open in shock and she let out a scoff of a laugh. "Excuse me?"

"Look, last time you hung out with Henry, I covered your shift because I owed you one, and Jim ended up biting my head off about how I "let" you go with Henry. I'm not going to listen to that crap again."

Confused and offended, it took a moment for her to come up with something to say. "Well, sorry, Graham, but you're not in charge of me, so – "

"Which is exactly what I told Jim last time," he continued. "But that was because I thought he was overreacting. Now?" He scoffed and shook his head in disgust.

Tabitha was completely thrown off by this whole confrontation. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Graham rolled his eyes. "Stars, Tabitha, I really didn't think you were this blind – he's hitting on you. He wants to get you alone somewhere. He was asking you to take him to 'see the sights' or whatever bullshit he said, and then the second he found out the rest of us weren't going to be here, he dropped it. Tabitha, I'm telling you, this is not – "

Tabitha looked aghast. "Were you listening in on us?"

He stopped, looking a bit sheepish for a moment… but then he straightened up and stared her down. "Yeah, I was. And it's a good thing too since you're apparently too oblivious to see what he's after – I can warn you."

"_Warn me?_" Tabitha looked ready to hit him, tightening her hands into fists at her side. "Graham, for one thing, this whole argument between me and Jim is none of your damn business. For another, you had no right to listen in on my conversation! And lastly, I can take care of myself, so back off!"

With a loud, offended sigh, Graham threw his hands up and stormed out of the room. She was certain that wasn't the end of it, but she was glad he'd left her alone for now… at least in the physical sense; everything he'd said was still replaying through her mind, heightening the suspicions she'd already had.

* * *

"Jim, look, before we go – "

"What?" Jim asked, sounding already exasperated even though this was the first thing Graham said to him that morning.

Silver shrugged on his jacket and anxiously listened to Graham as the three of them left the Benbow and headed to the transport stop. "It's about Henry and Tabitha," Graham continued. "I heard him talking to her last night, and – "

"Look, Graham – " A lack of sleep and the fact that they were only two days away from leaving and he _still_ hadn't made a definitive plan had Jim already impatient. "I really don't want to hear what he said to her. I don't want to hear what she said to him. I just don't want to hear about it."

Graham sighed. "Yeah, I get that and all, but – "

"No! Look, just drop it. Don't talk to me about them. I don't care."

Silver frowned. "Ya do care, lad."

Jim glared at both of them. "Forget it! It's not like I can say anything to her to change her mind. She's going to do whatever the hell she wants anyway."

Graham sighed in frustration. "Jim, just – "

"Shut up!"

Graham and Jim stared each other down; Jim was the first one to release an apologetic sigh, but he said nothing as he turned and kept walking. Silver started to follow, but paused when he realized Graham wasn't moving. "Ya coming?"

Graham shook his head, keeping his gaze focused on Jim's back like he was trying to burn a whole through him. "No. No, I need to stay here."

Before Silver could talk the young man out of it, Graham was headed back up to the inn. By the time Silver caught up to Jim, he was waiting at the end of the dock, staring out into open space. "Jimbo?"

Jim shook his head, refusing to really acknowledge Silver's presence beside him. "I don't know what I'm going to do." They were both quiet, waiting on each other to say something, until Jim let out a loud sigh and ran his hand through his hair. "This isn't worth it anymore. I want to keep her safe, but not if she's going to hate me for it."

Silver hesitated, thinking through what advice might be appropriate here… but nothing good came to mind. "Ah, I'm sorry, lad," he apologized, placing a hand on Jim's shoulder. "It was my idea to make Tabby stay home, my idea to go on t'e voyage in t'e first place – "

"Yeah, maybe, but I'm the one who tried to handle this and just… screwed up and made everything worse!" Jim was practically shouting by the time he was done. He kicked his frustration out on one of the posts of the dock before turning back to Silver. "I… I feel like I should… apologize?"

The way Jim ended the statement with a questioning tone made Silver arch an eyebrow. "Well don't ask me, lad! I don't even know t'e whole story; t'ain't my place to say what ya should do."

Jim sighed and started to rub his eyes with his fingers, wishing that he'd gotten more sleep, wishing that he'd handled this from the beginning, and that Henry wasn't there, or that Graham was here with advice (or at least something to make him laugh); wish that things would just magically work out somehow –

"But if ya t'ink ya should apologize, ya probably should."

The young man slowly looked back up at his father-in-law, keeping his whole face completely blank. "What do I even apologize for? I can apologize for fighting, but that still doesn't fix the problem – "

Jim's questioning as cut short as the transport approached the pier. Silver gave a warm chuckle and clapped him on the back. "Well… Ya got t'e rest of t'e day to figure it out."

* * *

"So have you mentioned my proposal to Jim yet?"

Tabitha mentally groaned at the question, because Graham had been there to here it. No surprise – Graham had been around to hear everything that was said to her. They might as well have been handcuffed together with how much freedom he was giving her. She was surprised he'd even let her use the washroom by herself.

Sure enough, Graham was instantly alert. "What proposal?"

As if the air in the kitchen hadn't been tense enough already, what with Henry volunteering to help Mrs. Hawkins out around the inn, and Graham playing babysitter, and Tabitha just wanting to get as far away as possible from both of them. Henry bristled and stared Graham down. "I was talking to Tabitha."

"And I was talking to you," Graham shot back. "What proposal?"

Tabitha sighed and intervened. "Henry proposed that he and his crew could escort us to Ciaran to ensure my safety."

"And you said you'd run it by Jim," Graham guessingly completed for her. "Well, here's an idea – _don't_." He turned to Henry. "Thanks so much for the offer, but we're not interested."

"Last I heard, _Mr. Emerson_, you were only the first mate. I don't see how this is any of your business," Henry scowled.

"The captain's not here, so I'm letting you know what he would say."

"That's it," Tabitha mumbled to herself. Throwing the ladle into the pot of soup she'd been stirring, she grabbed Graham's arm and yanked him out the back door.

"What the hell are you doing?" he snapped as he jerked out of her grasp.

Tabitha kept her voice low and stared him down. "Leave. Me. Alone."

"With him?" He scoffed. "Yeah, I think not."

"Graham, I don't know what your problem is, but I swear to the stars if you don't give me some personal space I'll – "

"Personal space? What, so Henry can invade it again?"

"Shut up!" She quickly lowered her voice from a yell at the risk of being overheard by some of the guests. "Graham, I don't care what you think Henry's up to. I don't care what you think Jim's reaction to all this is going to be. I don't care. Please, for the love of the Etherium, stay the hell away from me."

Graham was already working on untying his apron by the time she was done. "You know," he began with a humorless laugh. "It's really no surprise you and Jim are married." He pulled the apron off over his head and threw it at her before storming down the steps of the back porch. "You're both as stubborn as the day is long, and you don't give a damn when your friend's trying to help you. So forget it! You're on your own, Tabitha. Enjoy, and when he tries to pull something, don't say I didn't warn you."

Tabitha watched him walk back around towards the front of the inn before shaking her head. "Damn it," she mumbled as she headed back in.

"Everything alright?"

Henry was, of course, right where she'd left him – waiting on her return. "Fine," she answered tensely.

Henry smiled. "Well, I'm glad. I – "

"Look, Henry, could you please – " She stopped short, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to calm herself. "Would you… just give me some space for a little while?"

When Henry realized he had it no better than Graham, he scowled. However, keeping up the disguise, he quickly turned it into an unconvincing smile and nodded at her. "As you wish, Tabitha."

Once alone in the kitchen, Tabitha felt slightly more at ease, but no less guilty or tired or stressed or confused. She sank down onto one of the benches beside the kitchen table, then leaned over until she was stretched out on it, her face buried in her arm as she took deep breaths and tried to calm down.

Next thing she knew, a gentle hand was rubbing her shoulder. "Tabitha?"

She opened her eyes, trying to remember what had happened, then shot up, nearly butting heads with Abigail in the process. "What… what - ?"

"You fell asleep, dear," Abigail kindly explained. "John had mentioned how tired you'd been lately, so Sarah and I decided to let you sleep."

"I didn't expect you to sleep so long though!" Sarah called from the other side of the kitchen. "That bench is hardly a comfortable resting place – I expected you to wake up within a couple of hours."

Tabitha rubbed at her eyes. "I was asleep longer than a couple of hours?"

"Darling, you've been asleep almost six," Abigail explained.

"_Six?_" The young woman jumped up, looking out the window for verification that it really was near dinner time. "I-I'm so sorry, I didn't even mean to…"

"It's quite alright," Abigail assured her with a warm hug. "To be honest, I've been worried about you…" She stared her daughter down, concern etched through her features. "I know you and Jim haven't been on the best of terms lately… but are you alright?"

Tabitha gulped and nodded, looking away as she told the unconvincing lie.

With a loud sigh, Abigail gave her daughter another quick hug. "Alright, dear… Just remember you can come to me for anything."

Tabitha only watched her mother make it halfway across the room before she stopped her. "Wait!" Abigail turned around, looking at her curiously. "I… Could I talk to you?" she asked, biting her lip.

Abigail smiled and nodded for Tabitha to follow her.

* * *

Jim had spent the entire day planning out an apology – trying to figure out what specifically he needed to apologize for, and how to do it without making it sound like he was conceding and letting her come on the voyage, and trying to figure out what words to use to avoid another fight. When they arrived back at the Benbow that evening, he had a vague outline of what he wanted to say… and he was just going to roll with it.

Following the directions from his mother, he headed to the den in search of Tabitha. Just as he turned the corner, he heard them talking and stopped, leaning against the wall to see if it was something important or something that could be interrupted.

"… wondering how he convinced you to stay here."

"Oh." Abigail sighed. "It certainly wasn't easy. John and I ended up fighting as well, though only for a night, but… to be honest, I still don't want to stay."

Jim knew it was rude to eavesdrop, but curiosity got the best of him. Maybe Tabitha would say something that could give him a better idea of what he specifically needed to apologize for…

"Then why did you agree to?" Tabitha curiously inquired. "Aren't you worried about him?"

"Of course. I'm worried about John, and you and Jim and everyone going. It's a dangerous planet and I know you're all at risk…" Jim heard Abigail take a deep breath. "Eventually, I just had to trust John."

"Trust…? But I trust Jim, I just don't agree that I should have to – "

"Wait, let me finish," Abigail said patiently. "Sometimes you have to put what the other person wants ahead of what you want. You have to believe that they only want what's best for you, and trust that they're trying to give you that."

Jim slouched back against the wall.

"B-But then why shouldn't Jim be doing that for me?" Tabitha questioned earnestly.

"Tabitha, darling, do you have any idea how much that boy loves you?"

The boy in question let out a quiet chuckle to himself.

"Well… yes, of course, but – "

"Do you think he'd continue fighting with you for as long as he has if he didn't feel so strongly about this?"

No. No, of course he wouldn't. She knew that… right? Surely that alone was a hint at how important this was to him…

"No…" Tabitha reluctantly agreed. "He wouldn't."

"Then maybe you should take a moment to see things from his point of view, completely; maybe he'll walk you through his thought process."

"I-I still don't understand why this is something I should be doing for him… Why doesn't it work the same in reverse?"

Good question…

"It does, of course," Abigail explained. "Perhaps you should both calmly talk through the reasoning for what you want."

"And then what? What if we still don't agree?"

"Then one of you has to quit being so stubborn and give in." Jim could practically hear Tabitha anxiously chewing on her lip and her fingers twisting through her hair. Abigail continued. "Tabitha, the reason you want to go – Do you believe it's because you have Jim's best interests at heart, or is it simply your own personal desire?"

Jim's eyes widened as he waited for an answer… but Tabitha's silence was enough of one. Would she realize now that he was doing this for her, not for himself?

"Maybe this is one of those times where you need to trust Jim and agree to what he wants, but I promise there will be times when he has to do the same for you."

Jim heard them shifting on the couch. "Thanks, mom."

"You are very welcome, darling."

Taking a deep breath, Jim turned and started to walk in, trying to appear as though he hadn't been listening in, and stopped in the doorway. "Um… hey."

"Hey," Tabitha said.

Abigail quickly and quietly dismissed herself out the other door to go help Sarah, leaving the couple alone, staring at each other with mixed emotions.

"Tabitha, I just wanted to – "

"Jim, I think we should – "

They both let out a light laugh. "You first," Jim smiled.

Taking a slow, deep breath, she stood up and walked over to him. "I think we should… talk."

Jim nodded and reached for her hand. "So do I."

"Want to go home?" she asked as she stepped into the hallway with him.

"Yeah… let's – "

"Tabitha?"

Tabitha turned to look at Henry, mentally cursing him for showing up right now. "Yeah?"

"Could I speak with you for a moment? Privately?" Henry cast a slightly disapproving glance at Jim.

Tabitha opened her mouth to object, turning to look at Jim, but her husband just gave a half-hearted smile. "Just, uh… come find me when you're done, I guess."

She was a bit surprised that he had no objections, but she took that as a good sign; maybe they really were on their way to working things out. She nodded, giving his hand a tight squeeze before releasing it and following Henry.

Alone once again, Jim sighed to himself; he still had one more apology to give. It took him a few minutes to find Graham hanging out on the front path of the Benbow, playing solitaire with a little help from Morph.

"Thanks, Morph, but you turning into a Ten of Clubs just because I need it is considered cheating I think," Graham laughed.

Morph started to do it anyway, but the second he caught sight of Jim, he emitted a high pitched squeal and raced over Graham's shoulder to the other man. Jim couldn't help but chuckle as Morph licked him. "Okay! Morph, I get it! It's nice to see you too!" When he managed to calm the blob down and looked back at his friend, Graham had already stacked up the entire game and was headed back towards Jim… or so Jim thought until he walked past him without saying a word. "Hey!"

Graham stopped on the bottom step of the porch and turned around. "What?"

Jim opened his mouth, then stopped, hesitating to apologize just yet. "What were you trying to tell me this morning?"

"Oh, _now_ you want to know?" Graham scoffed.

"Look, I'm sorry," Jim apologized as he approached his friend. "I'm sorry I snapped at you. I know you were trying to help, and… I'm just sorry, okay?"

Graham's serious expression didn't falter. "Henry's been trying to get Tabitha alone."

Jim's eyes widened. "What?"

"At first, he was asking her to take her to see the sights, but when he found out she was staying here, he stopped and decided to volunteer to help Mrs. Hawkins since you and Silver were gone. I was trying to tell you that – what?"

Jim had been looking more and more panicked as Graham spoke. "He's alone with her now."

The boys stared at each for only a moment before rushing up the steps and back inside. "Why would he want to get her alone?" Jim questioned.

"I don't know. I don't get what he's playing at. Oh, and apparently he also volunteered him and his crew to serve as escorts on our trip to Ciaran – so that Tabitha could go and he could help keep her safe."

As they burst into the kitchen, Sarah jumped and nearly dropped the stack of dishes she was returning to a cabinet. "Boys! You almost gave me a heart attack! What's the rush?"

"Where's Tabitha?" Jim questioned.

"On the back porch with Henry." Jim raced over to the back door, which was (thankfully) standing open just enough for him to hear what was going on. Graham started to follow, but Sarah stopped him. "Graham, I need you and Jim to start making the pies for desert. I've got to go take care of the guests that just showed up."

"But – " Before Graham could object, Sarah was out of the kitchen and he was stuck rolling dough for the pie crusts. "What's going on, Jim?"

Jim held up a finger, telling his friend to keep quiet so he could listen.

* * *

"Tabitha, are you happy with your life here?"

Needless to say, this was not the kind of question Tabitha had expected to get, and it caught her off guard. "W-Well… yeah. I've got my family, and Jim, and we've got jobs – "

"I understand that you're well off here, and that you're probably contented here," Henry stopped her, stepping closer and gazing down at her. "But are you really truly happy where you are now?"

Tabitha sighed and stepped away. "Henry… I'm sorry. I knew this was going to happen. I-I know I've kind of been… leading you on the past few days – spending time with you and stuff – but… I wasn't trying to send… _that_ kind of signal. I'm married to Jim, and I'm the happiest I've ever been."

Henry stared at her, scoffing as if he was amused by this statement. "Then tell me, _Tabitha_, why exactly have you been so upset the last few days if you're the happiest you've ever been."

"Because Jim and I have been in a rough patch. A rough patch I was planning to fix just before you interrupted me in the hallway."

"So you're telling me that you're truly happy with a man who is overprotective of you? Who won't let you do the things you want to do? Come now, Tabitha, we both know that's not like you."

"_Stop_ acting like you know everything about me, Henry," she snapped. "I know you knew me when I was younger, but a lot has changed since then."

"Clearly, if you're willing to stay stranded on a planet like this when you have other options."

"What other options – "

Henry rushed forward like it was the moment he'd been waiting for, grabbing her hands in his. "Come with me, Tabitha. I'll never try to hold you back from doing the things you want to do. Your beauty and talent will never be wasted with me. Please, Tabitha. You deserve better than this."

Tabitha laughed in outright shock, pulling her hands away from him. "You must be mental. I'm _married_."

"I've seen hundreds of women who were married as well, women who claimed to be happy until someone gave them the chance to admit otherwise," he argued.

"I don't know what kind of women you've been dealing with, and I don't know what you got out of them, but whatever it is you want from me isn't going to happen. Jim and I are in love – "

"Oh, really? And this is what couples in love act like?"

"Yes, Henry, it is!" Tabitha yelled, losing what little patience she had left. "You act like love is about getting along all the time, and it's not! That would be excruciatingly boring. Love is… every other emotion you can think of all rolled into one - you just came in at a bad time and aren't paying attention to the right ones."

Henry sighed impatiently. "All I know is the only emotions I've seen you wear since I got here have been anger or depression, and I hate to see you living like that. I want you to know that I'd do everything to make you happy. None of this 'you can't handle it' nonsense - "

"You're missing the point! It's not nonsense! Jim loves me, and if - "

"He's got a funny way of showing it then," Henry added disdainfully.

Tabitha took a deep breath and released it slowly. "If Jim honestly thinks that I shouldn't go, he's only looking out for me. We're in love, which is clearly something you can't seem to grasp. I'm not going to leave him. Ever. There's nothing in the stars that could change the way Jim and I feel about each other, especially not anything you're going to say or do. Even if Jim and I fight every single day for the rest of our lives, even if he wants me to stay home from every voyage we go on, I'll still be a thousand times happier with him than I could ever be without him."

Henry sighed and reached for her hand again. "Tabitha - "

"You need to leave," she ordered, taking a step back from him.

"But, Tabitha, love - "

"Hey!"

Tabitha and Henry both turned around to see Jim standing in the doorway. His focus was on Henry for the moment, and he wore a glare that made Tabitha think he'd probably heard more of this conversation than he really should have.

"What's going on?" he finally asked.

"I'm simply talking with an old friend," Henry said calmly. "Perhaps you should stop jumping to conclusions."

"Perhaps you should stop hitting on my wife." Jim walked over and stood defensively between Henry and Tabitha. "She told you to leave. Do it voluntarily, or I'll make you."

"Is that a threat?"

"It's a promise."

Henry paused, a flicker of fear passing over his face before his nonchalance was back. "It's just that I keep noticing how upset Tabitha's been these past few days. It's really not any of my business why, but - "

"Yeah. You're right. It isn't any of your damn business, so drop it."

Henry chuckled in his naturally condescending way, placing one hand on Jim's shoulder. "Listen, James, I'm sure you're just as great as all the rumors say you are, but the simple fact is, I've seen you bring Tabitha nothing but heartache since I got here. I spent almost a year spacing with her when she was 13 and never saw her cry once. So either she's gotten weaker over time - which, knowing her like I do, I highly doubt - or you're doing something wrong."

Jim glanced at the hand on his shoulder, then gritted his teeth and pushed it off. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, don't I? Then why are you so angry? You sure I haven't hit a touchy spot?"

He took a deep breath in a failed attempt to calm down. "Just stay away from her, from us."

Henry raised an eyebrow and looked at Tabitha. "You always let him tell you who you're allowed to hang out with?"

"No, but since I happen to agree with him, I'm not going to object," she snipped.

Henry stared at them both, then held up his hands in surrender and started to head inside, so Jim cautiously turned around to look at Tabitha. "You okay?"

Tabitha nodded. "Yeah… fine."

He released a sigh of relief, reaching for her hand and absentmindedly rubbing his thumb over the back of it. "So, uh… we were about to head home…"

Tabitha nodded. "Would you mind going ahead? I-I'll be down soon, I just need to talk to Silver first."

Jim nodded and started down the steps, only to freeze when Henry once again interrupted him.

"Maybe you're upset because you actually see me as a threat," Henry mused, an evil smirk spreading across his face.

Jim tried to stay calm as he turned back around. "What?"

"You two were married very young. Maybe you two overestimated young love. "The honeymoon is over," so to speak. Maybe your relationship isn't what it used to be, and maybe I'm the next best thing."

Tabitha started to step forward. "You son of a - "

Jim quickly marched back up the steps, holding out a hand to stop her before he faced Henry himself. "I'm going to say this one more time: stay away from her, quit pretending like you know us, and g_et. out_."

"See, Hawkins? You sound threatened," Henry antagonized. "If you love Tabitha, you must trust her, and if you trust her, then I'm no real danger to you... right?"

Jim froze, just like the calm before the storm. One more raise of Henry's eyebrows and an antagonistic smirk was all it took for Jim to snap.

Henry stumbled back when Jim shoved him, letting out a shocked laugh. "You really don't want to do that, Hawkins," he warned.

"And you really don't want to test me right now," Jim growled, stepping forward so that he was mere inches away from him.

Henry pushed Jim back harder. "First of all, Tabitha is more than capable of handling herself; she does not need you playing knight in shining armor for her. And secondly, she's an old friend. I'm simply trying to help her."

"I know exactly what you've been trying to do with her – " Another shove from Jim. " - And it's not going to happen."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure." Another shove from Henry.

"Well, I am." Jim threw him into the door, pinning him there with his forearm against his throat and lowering his own voice so that Tabitha had to strain to hear him. "I'm not playing games with you. Tabitha and I have enough to worry about without you causing more problems. She's sick of it, I'm sick of it, and you've overstayed your welcome by a long shot. You need to pack up and get out of here. Tonight."

Henry gasped in a deep breath of air when Jim backed away. Jim glared at him for a second, only softening his gaze when he looked at Tabitha. He held his hand out to her, his eyes silently begging her to just take it and leave with him now. As Tabitha stepped forward, Henry suddenly righted himself, took two steps forward, and pushed Jim again. Jim was turned sideways and caught completely off guard and ended up falling down the steps of the porch, landing hard on his back.

"Jim!" Tabitha gasped, rushing down to check him.

Stars swirled around the edge of Jim's vision for a moment. "Ow, shit… No, I'm fine," he mumbled to her, twisting his neck experimentally. "I'm fine."

"Oh, Tabitha, he's alright," Henry chuckled at her in a patronizing way as he descended the stairs.

Tabitha was willing to accept Jim's assurance; she had other problems to deal with. Jim's head was still a bit fuzzy, but he was vaguely aware of Tabitha getting up and walking away, shouting something as she did.

"What the hell was that?" Tabitha yelled at Henry, shoving him herself now. "That was a cheap shot!"

"Well, I wasn't about to let him win," he smirked.

"Win _what_? This isn't some kind of contest! I don't know what you're playing at, but I'm – "

"Alright, alright – I'm sorry." He reached out to put his hand on her waist. "Let me make it up to you."

She jerked away from him. "Don't you _dare_ touch me! Look, I've tried to be decent to you, but you're crossing boundaries left and right. Where the hell do you get off – "

Her complaints were interrupted when he pulled her forward and roughly tried to kiss her. She fought, managing to turn her head enough so that his lips met her cheek instead. Defeated, his grip lessened just enough for Tabitha to catch him off guard, twisting out of his arms and backing up a couple of steps, shaking her head in disbelief, her mouth hanging open in shock.

In the next second, Jim was standing between them once again, his entire body tensed protectively in front of Tabitha and a glare of hatred focused solely on Henry. "Did you just try to kiss my wife?"

Henry smirked and daringly took a step closer to him, using his slight height advantage to look down at him. "Actually, Hawkins, I believe I did kiss your wife. Perhaps not on the lips, but even so, it seems to have left her speechless."

The words had barely left Henry's mouth before he was suddenly stumbling backwards, finally catching himself on the wall of the Benbow. Jim had thrown the punch so hard and so fast, he barely even realized he'd done it. It wasn't until his knuckles started to ache that it started to sink in, but instead of the disgust some part of him told him he should be feeling for acting out so violently, he felt sickeningly empowered.

"Jim – " Tabitha whispered, tentatively placing a hand on his arm, only to have him yank away and step closer to Henry.

With a disbelieving laugh, Henry steadied himself on his feet, rubbing at his jaw. "Didn't think you had it in you, Hawkins."

"If you think I'm just going to stand here and let you manhandle my wife like that, you've got another thing coming," Jim said fiercely.

"Well, from what I hear, your relationship isn't very stable right now. I can't imagine that intimacy would be an exception, so perhaps Tabitha needs a bit of _manhandling_ in her life."

Jim knew Henry just wanted to get a rise out of him, that he was only trying to antagonize him into a fight… but at the moment, he could not have cared less. All he knew was that he had never wanted to hurt someone as bad as he wanted to hurt Henry.

Tabitha gasped when Jim suddenly stepped forward, grabbing Henry's shirt and throwing him against the wall. "Jim – "

"Tabitha, get back inside." Jim didn't look at her; he kept his eyes focused on Henry's, but when he didn't hear an answer or any movement from Tabitha, he glanced over his shoulder at her. "Tabitha, _please_. Go inside."

She didn't know whether he was commanding her or begging her, she didn't know what Jim planned to do to Henry, and she didn't know why he so badly needed her to go inside, but she did know this was about to get really ugly really fast. In the blink of an eye, she'd raced up the steps, thrown open the door to the inn, and immediately began her search for the only person she thought could handle this. "Silver!"

"What is it?" Graham inquired, figuring whatever she was excited about had to be infinitely more entertaining than pie.

Tabitha took no notice of him as she rushed past him into the dining room. "Silver! Where is Silver?"

"I'm right here, lass," he chuckled as he placed food down in front of the guests at one of the tables.

"Silver – dad – it's – "

Silver picked up on her fear now and turned his full attention to her. "What? What is it?"

"I-It's Jim, a-and Henry – "

That was all it took for Silver to get a good idea of what was probably happening. He put the rest of the plates down on the table in a less than formal manner and rushed back through the kitchen, Tabitha close at his heels.

"What's going on?" Graham questioned again, more concernedly this time though.

"What t'e devil's goin' on out - " Silver's questioning stopped abruptly as he stepped out onto the porch and saw the brawl for himself. "OY!"

Graham followed close behind. "What the hell...?"

Tabitha couldn't do anything but stand there looking horrified, still in shock over the kiss and Jim's reaction and now the fight…

"Alright now! Break it up!" Silver snapped as he approached the two fighting boys. "That's enough!" His mechanical arm reached out and grabbed Henry by the lapel, pulling him away from Jim. Graham quickly rushed forward and stood in front of Jim, holding his hands out to stop him.

"Stay the hell away from my wife!" Jim spat, wiping his bloody lip on his sleeve.

Henry was still trying to catch his breath, but he managed to sound smug despite that. "Oh, Hawkins... don't be so afraid... of a little competition."

Jim clenched his jaw. "You are _not_ my competition, and I swear if you _ever_ come near her again - "

"That's enough, Jim," Silver snapped.

Graham surveyed his friend anxiously. "Dude, what the hell?"

"He kissed Tabitha!" Jim shouted.

"He _what?_"

The three of them turned to look at Henry. He let out a nervous laugh, gulping when he felt Silver's grip on his shirt tighten. "It was only a kiss on the cheek."

"That's not what you meant for it to be!" Jim argued. "And you're lucky Tabitha pushed you away, or I – "

"Stop it. Catch yer breath, lad," Silver ordered Jim before turning back to Henry. "What in blue blazes is t'e matter wit' ya! Ya know Tabby's a married lady! Ya can't just – "

Henry held up his hands in surrender. "I meant no harm – "

"Bull shit," Graham snorted, letting his grip on Jim go lax. "You've been waiting to try that since you first saw her."

With Graham's grip relaxed, Jim was able to lunge forward again, and it was only Silver's quick reflexes that kept him from attacking Henry once again. "Graham!" Silver snapped, trying to hold both Jim and Henry away from each other.

"What?" Graham questioned defiantly. "I don't blame Jim for wanting to hit him. The guy's a smug bastard and – " Silver's cyborg eye flashed red as he narrowed his gaze at Graham, who immediately stopped arguing, groaned, and pulled Jim back again, pushing him back a few steps. "Dude, come on. He's not worth it."

"Yeah… maybe he's not," Jim agreed, as he finally quit struggling to break free. "But Tabitha is."

Graham sighed. "I know she is, but right now she's worried sick about you."

Graham nodded towards the porch and Jim turned around to see Tabitha standing at the bottom of the stairs, frozen in shock, one hand on her stomach as if she might be sick. With a guilty sigh, Jim allowed Graham to lead him back to the porch.

Tabitha suddenly rushed forward as he got closer, meeting him at the halfway point. "A-Are… Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he assured her.

She gently grabbed his hand, running her thumb over his fingers. "Y-You should put some ice on this…" She looked up, her fingertips brushing over his brow as she surveyed his eye. "A-And probably on your eye too." Her fingers slipped down, softly touching the cut on his lip; he winced. "Sorry," she apologized. "I'm sorry. I…"

Their eyes locked on each other's so suddenly that it took them both by surprise. They were suddenly breathless, the words they wanted to say just out of their reach. Tabitha opened her mouth to speak, but Jim silenced her by simply placing his hand against her cheek. He leaned in, faltering for a second before brushing a light kiss against her lips. When he pulled back a moment later, she wasn't moving, just staring at him in some combination of shock mixed with the slightest hint of a silent apology.

Graham quietly cleared his throat. "We really should get your hand taken care of." He placed a hand on Jim's shoulder and steered him into the Benbow.

"She hates me, doesn't she?" Jim muttered as they stepped over the threshold.

Graham jerked to face him. "You can't seriously be asking me that."

"Did you see the way she just looked at me?" Jim's voice was ashamed, quiet and shaky, and it sounded more like he was questioning himself rather than his friend. "All I've done this week is screw things up. First with us arguing and now starting a fist fight with Henry…"

Graham raised an eyebrow skeptically. "He tried to kiss your girl. You might have swung the first punch, but he had it coming. Hell, I'd have hit him if you hadn't."

Jim sighed, quickly finding a spare rag in one of the drawers and meandering over to the icebox to get some ice for his hand.

"Where in the stars did everybody go?" Sarah shouted as she entered the kitchen. "Oh, well at least you two are here. Graham, if you finished the pies, could you start clearing dishes on the empty tables? Jim, go take the laundry off the line. And where has everybody else gone off to?"

"Uh, they're outside. Kind of a long story… and I don't think Jim's going to be able to do the laundry right now," Graham admitted.

Sarah looked confused until she turned and saw Jim, leaning against the counter with the makeshift washcloth-bag of ice on his hand. "Jim! What happened?"

Jim debated making something up, downplaying the whole incident, feigning that he was miraculously able to bend his fingers again… but in the end, he had to tell the truth. "I punched Henry."

Sarah's jaw dropped, but before she could begin to chastise him, Graham was already sticking up for his friend. "Mrs. Hawkins, no disrespect, but Henry did deserve it." Sarah shot him a glare that actually made him flinch. "Er… Yeah, I think I'll just go outside and… yeah."

Sarah waited until he was out of the kitchen to turn her attention back to her son. "Jim, I don't care whether he 'deserved it' or not! You know better!" She was fuming as she crossed the kitchen, pulling the ice away to survey the damage.

Jim sucked in a breath through his teeth. "Ow! Mom – "

"You should know there are better ways to handle your problemes than by fighting," she continued, ignoring her son's complaint. "Punching one of our guests… Jim, you're a grown man, and a captain on top of that! You know you can't go around – "

"He kissed Tabitha."

Sarah halted, her hands freezing mid-examination as she slowly tilted her head back up to look at him. She stared at him, observing the way he was acting; his brow was barely furrowed, the rest of his face blank and emotionless, except for his eyes, which held a distinct sadness when he finally looked up at her again.

"He…" Sarah didn't seem to be able to put her shock into a comprehensive sentence.

"It was only her cheek, but he was trying to kiss her on the lips, she just managed to push him away. And the way he grabbed her and held her like that just - " He stopped rambling and let out a deep, frustrated sigh, running his uninjured hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. Really. I-I know it was a stupid way to try to handle things… I just – "

She held up a hand to stop him, letting out an angry sigh. She composed herself, but just as she opened her mouth to speak, the sound of shouting from outside cut her off. "What now?" she snapped. Jim took a step, planning to go find out what was going on, but Sarah quickly stopped him. "Oh, no. You go sit in the den."

Jim's jaw dropped like a defiant teenagers. "But – "

"Absolutely not. The last thing we need is for you to get involved again. I'm sure Silver can handle it. I'm going to take care of the guests, and you're going to cool off and wait for everyone else to come back inside." Jim opened his mouth in another attempt to argue, but she cut him off. "Now, James."

* * *

Tabitha felt like she'd completely lost her mind. Surely this wasn't happening… right? This was some kind of twisted nightmare… But the way her stomach was churning and the cold sweat that had broken out over her skin and the way her heart was racing quickly convinced her it was all real. Lightheaded, she stumbled back and took a seat on the steps, leaning into the banister and closing her eyes. It wasn't until someone laid a hand on her shoulder a moment later that she moved at all, jumping with a slight gasp as she jerked around defensively.

Graham threw his hands up in surprise. "Whoa, it's just me, Tabs. Calm down."

She sighed. "You startled me."

Tabitha considered apologizing for yelling at him earlier, but before she'd decided, he took a seat next to her. "You're alright?"

"What does it matter? You told me I was on my own."

Graham let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, well… you weren't so scared you were shaking when I said that."

"I'm not – " She stopped short when she realized her entire body was jittery nerves - her leg bouncing up and down, her hands trembling…

Graham wrapped an arm around her and comfortingly rubbed her back. "I don't blame you for being shaken up."

"I just can't believe he did that!" she nearly yelled in frustration. "Who does that? Who goes around trying to pick up married women?"

"Assholes like him," he answered simply. "It's not as far-fetched as you might think. Spacer back on land for the first time in months... You've heard that expression 'men have needs,' and what better way to have them filled than by some woman whose husband isn't appreciative enough of her. It's an old trick." Tabitha shot him a glare of disapproval and he laughed in disbelief. "I'm not condoning him here, I'm just saying it's not all that surprising. Someone who doesn't know you and Jim just sees a married couple arguing. Not to mention you and him already have a history together – "

"It's not a history! He wanted to get me in bed with him – the end. We didn't even kiss or anything."

"Exactly. All the more reason for him to want you now."

Tabitha sighed. She knew he was right – she'd figured it must have been something along those lines – but that only irritated her even more. How could someone still have a hang up on something that happened so long ago? Surely she hadn't been the only girl to reject him… No, just the only girl that had rejected him that he'd gotten a second chance with.

Graham had been watching the animated exchange between Silver and Henry. It looked like a lot of berating on Silver's part, a lot of nervous laughter and apologizing on Henry's. Just as he was growing overly curious and wondering whether to go over there, Henry forced a cordial nod at Silver and headed to the front of the inn. Noticing Henry's overdone, swaggering gait, Graham couldn't help but chuckle. "Hiding a bit of a hurt ego there, don't you – Tabitha?" he cut himself short when she suddenly stood up and began storming over to the men they'd been surveying. "Uh, Tabitha, what - ?"

"I have a few choice words I'd like to say to Henry – AH!"

Graham caught her around the waist. "Oh no you don't." He easily hoisted her up over his shoulder, despite her kicking and screaming.

Tabitha was suddenly very glad she hadn't had the chance to apologize yet. "Graham Marlow Emerson! You bastard! You put me down this instant!"

"No! Listen, I told you this was going to happen, and you didn't take my word for it. I backed off when you asked me to earlier, and this is what happened. I will not let you go out there and make things worse now!"

Tabitha didn't stop fighting until he'd dragged her back inside and put her down, and even then she pushed away from him. "Damn it, Graham! You cannot just drag me around like that! I am not a child!"

"Really? Because you sure as hell have been acting like one!" he shouted back at her. "You haven't made a single responsible decision since Henry got here! I don't care what Jim has said or done to you – he is your husband, and trying to make him jealous is immature and reckless. Stop acting like an idiot, Tabitha. You're a hell of a lot smarter than that."

Tabitha looked like she'd just had the breath knocked out of her. A flash of conflicting emotions passed over her face, but before she could pick one, someone else spoke up for her.

"Don't call her an idiot," Jim said, fixing his glare on Graham.

Both Graham and Tabitha looked up to see Jim standing just inside the door, and Graham scoffed. "Oh, don't start with me again, Hawkins."

Jim ignored him and looked over at Tabitha. "What were you going to say to him?"

"I-I don't know… I just…" Tabitha tried to stay calm, tried to hold her ground, tried to make herself believe that she really had been doing the right thing… but it was all a lie, as the tears that pierced the back of her eyes started to prove. "I-I just wanted to tell him how… in love with _you_ I am, and… a-and that he had no right to try to – "

"You shouldn't have to tell him," Graham suddenly interrupted.

"Shut up! Just shut up! _Please!_" Tabitha shouted at him, taking both young men by surprise. "I know – okay? I know that! I know I completely screwed everything up, and that I shouldn't have done any of this, and that it's all my fault!" Jim knew the second she stopped that it was only because she was about to cry. Surprisingly though, she didn't stop. "I know… I know this is all my fault."

"No."

Tabitha turned to look at Jim. "What?"

"No," her husband repeated, shaking her head as he quickly walked over to her. "No, it… it wasn't all your fault."

"It was," she insisted. "Graham's right - I shouldn't have paid this much attention to Henry. He never should have the chance to… try something like this."

"I shouldn't have given you a reason to want to be around Henry," Jim replied. "If I hadn't been so… damned stubborn, we could have worked this out and told Henry to back off from the beginning."

Shaking her head slowly, she closed her eyes and refused to look at Jim anymore. With a loud sigh, he put the ice down on the counter and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug.

"What's going on in here – Jim!" Sarah chastised as she stepped into the kitchen, Abigail close at her heels. "I told you to stay in – "

"I'm just talking to Graham and Tabitha," he said calmly.

"Where's John?" Abigail asked worriedly.

Graham nodded towards the back door. "Outside."

Abigail rushed over, just in time to open it as Silver came lumbering up to the porch, mumbling curses under his breath. "John, what – ?" she warily began to question.

"Hold on, Abby," he stopped her as he walked past all of them and into the dining room. The other four didn't move, but it wasn't hard to hear Silver's shout's. "If any of ya are part of Henry Albright's crew, ya need to take yer leave. Yer captain's waitin' fer ya on the ship. Pack up and get out." The room went silent for a moment, until Silver shouted, "Now!" and the sounds of chairs scraping against the floor and silverware clinking against dishes reached them. Silver entered the kitchen again, glancing at everyone and then sighing and sinking down into a chair at the table.

"You really sent him off?" Jim finally spoke up.

Silver sighed, pulling out a handkerchief and rubbing it across his neck and forehead before looking over at Sarah. "Sorry fer t'e loss o' business, Sarah. I'll gladly pay her what ya woulda earned from t'at lot, but I'll be damned before I let a man like t'at come anywhere near Tabby again."

"No! No, that's alright, John." Sarah shook her head, still trying to process everything the last half-hour or so had brought. "From what I've heard, he needed to leave."

Silver gave her a solemn nod of agreement. As he caught sight of Tabitha and Jim, his brow crinkled in concern. "She alright?" he asked Jim, nodding towards the girl in his arms.

Tabitha knew he was asking about her, so she pulled away and turned to look at her father. "I-I'm fine," she sniffled. "I'm… I'm okay."

"Ya don't look okay, Tabby."

Jim watched Tabitha as she nervously glanced around the room, realizing that everyone was waiting on her next move – a move he knew she wasn't going to make. Without thinking twice about it, he slowly wrapped Tabitha in another hug, where she immediately started crying again, just as he'd expected her too. Placing a quick kiss on the top of her head, he looked around at everyone else.

"We're going home."

Jim had thought going home would make things better for Tabitha, but the idea that she'd feel less awkward if she wasn't crying in front of everyone was shot to hell when they walked in the door and he realized that things between them were still… weird. At least the Henry issue was out of the way now, but the main problem had yet to be solved.

* * *

They didn't talk. Jim tried - he searched for the words to apologize the entire time they walked home. Tabitha too was debating what to say, where to begin. After several minutes of just standing in the living room, Jim still holding Tabitha in a reassuring embrace, neither had reached any kind of conclusion, and neither had any idea what to do. Jim mumbled something about going to take a shower and left the room. He returned almost a half an hour later, shirtless and still towel-drying his hair, just as Tabitha shut the front door.

"Who was that?" he asked.

"Silver. Henry and his crew are officially gone, he just wanted to let us know," she explained. "And he said we should both take tomorrow off to rest before we leave."

"Oh… Uh, yeah, okay."

There was an awkward silence for a moment, until Tabitha started to walk past Jim and into the kitchen, and he reached out for her arm to stop her. "Did you really mean what you said to Henry?"

"Which part?"

"The part… You said that we could fight all the time and I could try to keep you home from every voyage and you'd still be a thousand times happier with me than with him."

She smiled but looked away. "Do you even need to ask? Of course I meant it."

Jim looked around as he pondered this. That meant that… things weren't as bad as he'd thought. Maybe she wasn't thrilled by the idea of staying here, but… she was still happy with him…

Tabitha slipped out of his grasp and was halfway out of the room when he spoke again.

"What happened to my pillow? And the quilt?"

She glanced back to see him staring at the couch, wondering where his makeshift bed had gone, and smiled. "They're back in our bed... where they belong."

When he jerked around to look at her, she was already gone, the kitchen door swinging back and forth behind her.

When Jim got to their bedroom a few minutes later, Tabitha already had the lights off and was curled up under the covers. Sure enough, the quilt was thrown over the sheets once again, and his pillow was resting on his side of the bed as if it had never been moved in the first place. He slowly climbed under the covers, trying not to shift the bed too much in case Tabitha was already asleep. Since Tabitha was on her side facing away from him, he opted to do the same, rolling onto his right side and facing the wall. It wasn't great, but it was definitely a step up from the couch.

"Did Henry hurt you?"

Jim's eyes blinked back open at Tabitha's question. "What?"

"Did Henry hurt you?" she repeated almost silently. "I-I mean other than your lip and you eye… a-and your hand. Did he…? I-I forgot to ask you sooner."

"Oh, uh… no, not really."

"Oh. Okay... Good."

"Thanks," Jim added a moment later. "For asking."

"Yeah, no problem," Tabitha whispered back.

Silence again. Silence so tense that Tabitha absolutely couldn't take it. Sighing heavily, she pushed herself into a sitting position. "Jim, I - "

As soon as he'd felt the bed shift, he'd started to sit up, and as soon as she started to speak, he kissed her. He couldn't help it - the longing to be near her again had finally reached it's breaking point. This time, he couldn't convince himself not to kiss her like he'd been able to last time. He waited a moment to see if she was going to push him away, preparing himself for the fact that this might lead to more fighting and him ending up back on the couch. Tabitha didn't do any of that though; she wrapped her hands around his neck and let them fall back to the bed together.

It was very early hours of the morning when they moved apart from each other, their breathing deep and their gazes still locked on each other's. They hadn't spoken the whole time. The last attempt at words had been when Tabitha was trying to say... Stars, she didn't even remember anymore. Whatever it was didn't matter; everything had been said without words, as if they'd somehow reached an understanding through a silent conversation of soft caresses and hushed breathing.

Jim was on his side, Tabitha still on her back. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him, so her back was pressed against his chest. Their breathing settled into a slow, matched pace together. Tabitha was the first to drift away, her last thoughts a vague recognition of a soft kiss against the nape of her neck and a light, familiar whisper into her hair.

* * *

Considering the late night they'd had, Jim woke surprisingly early the next morning. The light shining through the windows was pale grey, the result of early morning rays and overcast clouds. When he thought about climbing out of bed, he quickly realized he couldn't; Tabitha had one of her arms wrapped across his chest, one leg bent over his thigh, and her body glued against his side. He smiled to himself, kissing her forehead and settling back against the pillow, content to wait until she woke up.

Tabitha woke up slowly to the gentle touch of someone skimming their fingertips up and down her arm. Her eyes eventually blinked open to the sight of Jim staring down at her, his hand still aimlessly trailing across the arm she had wrapped over his chest. He gave her a small half-smile, and she suddenly realized she had no idea where they stood on the decision of whether she'd be going to Ciaran or not. Things seemed to be better, judging solely by how she'd just awoken, but she wasn't sure things were fixed.

"I'm sorry I called you an asshole," she blurted out.

Jim blinked in surprise at the unusual morning greeting, then sighed. "I'm sorry I called you a bitch."

"I'm sorry I made you sleep on the couch."

"I'm sorry for going solar surfing instead of talking through things with you."

"I'm sorry I used Henry to make you jealous."

"I'm sorry I beat him up."

Tabitha stopped, a slight smirk spreading across her lips. "No, you're not."

Jim couldn't help but chuckle. "Fine, I'm not."

She laughed, but her smile quickly faded again. "I'm sorry I let him kiss me."

"You didn't let him kiss you," he argued. "You fought away. If you'd let him kiss you, he would have ended up kissing you on the lips… and I probably would have killed him."

"Jim – " She bit her lip and carefully reached out to push his hair out of his eyes. "Graham was right. I was acting immature and like an idiot and – "

"No, Tabitha, stop." Grabbing the hand that was fingering his hair, he gently squeezed it. "Look – yeah, using Henry to try to piss me off wasn't the best idea… but I shouldn't have…" He sighed. "I shouldn't have let things get that bad. I never should have stormed off that first night – "

"But you only stormed off because I said I didn't need you!"

"Yeah, but… I should have come back. I should have just cooled off and then tried to work things out instead of making things worse by avoiding the subject every day. All I'm saying is that if we'd tried to calmly work through this early on, all that Henry bullshit never would have happened." Tabitha looked like she was considering this, but not very accepting of it. He sighed and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "Look, maybe we both did stupid stuff. We made mistakes and acted like idiots, and… it was both our faults."

Tabitha nodded in agreement. "I don't want to fight with you ever again."

"But that would mean no make-up sex ever again."

They tried to keep a straight face, to keep up the serious conversation, but as soon as Jim smirked, Tabitha burst into a fit of laughter and soon they were both laughing.

"I love you," Jim blurted out in the middle of it all.

Tabitha sobered up just a bit, but was still smiling. "I love you too."

"You know, it's only… five o'clock," he said with a glance at the clock. "And we've got the whole day off."

Snuggling up to him and laying her head on his chest, she let out a deep, relaxed sigh. "Let's go back to sleep then."

He chuckled and pulled the covers over them. "Took the words out of my mouth."

The next time Jim woke up, it was to the sound of the shower running. In a half-asleep state, he listened to the sound of the pouring water until it cut off. A few minutes later, the washroom door opened, and he finally opened his eyes to find Tabitha standing beside the bed, dressed and wringing her hair out with a towel.

"So, um… what are doing today?"

Jim took a deep breath and pushed himself up. "Well, ah…" He stretched slowly and stood up, giving her a half-hearted smile. "I guess we should start packing."

Tabitha's jaw dropped. She stood there gawking at him, watching him get out of bed and walk over to their dresser to find clothes to put on. "We?" she finally managed to get out. "_W-We_ should start packing?"

Jim let out a light chuckle as he grabbed a stack of clothes and headed to the washroom. "Well, you want to come, don't you?"

He shut the door behind him, leaving Tabitha shocked and confused. Had he really changed his mind just like that? And if so, why? What had changed? After a minute or two of trying to figure out what in the stars Jim was thinking now, she gave up and walked into the washroom. "What are you doing?"

"Uh…" Jim answered from behind the shower curtain. "Well, right now I'm bathing – "

"I mean about this trip. What… What made you change your mind? Are you just not worried about my safety anymore?"

"What kind of question is that? You know I am."

"Right, because you always are," she agreed. "So why the sudden change of mind?"

Jim hesitated. "Because you really want to go, and – "

"I've really wanted to go all along! That hasn't changed."

"Well, then, because… you said I don't get to let you do things."

"What about all that talk about you being the captain, and you being able to make me stay home?"

"I still could."

"Then why aren't you?"

Tabitha waited impatiently for an answer, but Jim didn't give one. After a minute, the shower cut off, leaving the room in dead silence. Jim reached out for the towel and carefully stepped out of the tub, catching sight of Tabitha's blank look, like she didn't know what to think of any of this. Lowering his head so he could stare at the towel instead of her, he finally explained. "I… I didn't want to force you to do something you don't want to do."

Tabitha stared at him… and when he refused to look up again after a few seconds, she turned and left. Jim sighed and ran a hand through his hair, wondering if he'd just reignited the flames of their fight. When he dressed and left the washroom a moment later, he found two suitcases, open and empty on the bed, but no Tabitha. "Tabitha?" he called out as he turned to go look for her.

She appeared suddenly in the doorway leading to the kitchen. "You're not telling me something."

That was not the sort of response Jim had expected. "What would I not be telling you?" he calmly questioned.

"I don't know…" She slowly shook her head, surveying him for an answer of some kind. "But there's something."

"How do you know that?" Jim asked, a bit more impatiently than he'd meant to sound.

"I can just tell, Jim! You're acting… uncomfortable. And you just suddenly changed your mind like that? That wouldn't happen for no reason."

"Look, just – " He ran his fingers through his hair again. "Do you want to go to Ciaran or not?"

"No, that's what I'm asking you, Jim. We know what I want, and I thought you knew what you wanted, but then you just… completely change your mind like this, and I…" Tabitha walked aimlessly to the other side of the room. "I was going to try to work out a compromise with you, but if we agree then…" She jerked back around. "What am I missing?"

"Nothing! You're over-thinking it. I… I changed my mind because I got tired of fighting with you, and… and we're a team, like you said." He feigned a smile and started to get dressed. "You deserve to go."

After a tensely silent minute or so, Tabitha shook her head again and sank down onto the edge of the bed. "I don't get it…" she whispered to herself. "I was thinking I might agree to stay home, and then you – "

"You were?" Jim nearly shouted.

"Yes!" she yelled back, turning to look at him. "Because I could tell how worried you were about me, and… after that whole Henry fiasco, I thought I owed it to you… I put you through enough with that and – " When Jim lets out a frustrated sigh, she glares at him and jumps back to her feet. "What is it? Why won't you just tell me what the problem is?"

"Tabitha, just drop it, okay?" he demanded. "No, I don't really want you to go to Ciaran – I'd rather you stay here – "

"Then why did you just say I could come?"

"I told you already!" Jim shouted, losing what little patience he had. "Because I didn't want to force you! I wanted you to stay because you understood – "

That halted statement took Tabitha by surprise. "Understood what?"

"Nothing," he unconvincingly answered. "Forget it."

"Why do you keep doing this? Why are you cutting me out?"

"Maybe because I don't want to talk about it!" Jim knew by the breathless silent that followed that he'd said something too harsh, and Tabitha had taken it too personally.

"Even with me?"

The quiet shaky sound of her voice nearly broke his heart. Looking down, he realized he'd been twisting the towel in and out of knots. "Especially with you," he mumbled back. He turned around just in time to see her wipe the edge of her sleeve over her eyes.

In the next second, Tabitha was suddenly in Jim's arms, and as much as a part of her wanted to fight away, most of her was too hurt and confused to do anything but breakdown.

Silently cursing himself when she started to really cry, he held her even tighter. "Please don't cry – you just misunderstood what I meant."

"No, I didn't!" she snapped, pulling out of his embrace and storming off again. "Something's wrong and you don't want to tell me about it. Fine."

"No – " Jim rushed after her, grabbing her arm and pulling her around so they were face to face again. "Stop it. I am not about to fight with you again, or still, or whatever the hell this is."

"Then tell me the truth, Jim!"

Jim locked his jaw, resisting the urge to start yelling again. "The truth is I want you to stay here."

"Why?"

"Because I know you'll be safe here."

Tabitha gritted her teeth. "You know that's not what I'm trying to get at. Tell me what's really wrong."

They stared at each other, neither willing to give in.

"I can't," Jim eventually stated before letting her go and storming over to the closet to start grabbing clothes to pack.

"Why not?" Tabitha demanded.

"I-I just can't," he vaguely repeated.

"Why?"

"Just drop it, okay?"

"No! You're my husband, and something is obviously wrong, and I'm worried, and I… I-I want to help."

Jim never felt so guilty in all his life – there just really was no good way to handle this, was there? "You can help me by staying home."

"I will if you tell me the real, _whole_ reason why you need me too."

Jim rubbed the back of his neck, then looked back at his suitcase. Mindlessly grabbing the clothes he'd pulled out and folding the haphazardly, he finally tried to explain. "Because… I…"

"Because what?" she encouraged, taking a step closer.

"I don't…"

"What? Did Silver tell you something else?"

"No!"

"Then what's the problem?"

When Jim looked up, she was right beside him, staring him down. "The problem is… I don't know…"

"You don't _know_ what the problem is?"

"No! I-I do!"

"Then what is it?"

"I-I can't…"

"Can't what?"

Losing his temper, Jim threw the final shirt into the suitcase and tightly grabbed Tabitha's arms at her sides. "I can't lose you again!"

Tabitha looked like she'd been struck a blow. "Jim…"

Letting her go and mumbling a quiet "Damn it…" under his breath, he walked away and stared out the window.

It took Tabitha almost a full minute to snap out of it and figure out something to say. "Jim, what... what are you talking about?"

He sighed. "That nightmare I had." That was all he said at first, wondering if Tabitha would question him further... but when she didn't after a moment, he continued. "It was like the alley, back on Lacuna, except I was there this time. I was there, and I could... see it all happening, a-and I wanted to help. I wanted to stop him, and save you... b-but I... I-I just couldn't. I don't know why. I just couldn't do it. I-I just had to stand there and watch, and..." He gulped. "And this time you didn't just end up hurt... you ended up..." He crossed his arms and stared at the floor. "I thought I'd lost you again..."

Tabitha hesitated, still trying to figure out exactly what the problem was. "But... that was just a dream. I mean, I-I understand why you're shaken up about it, but... when it happened in real life - "

"When it happened in real life, I wasn't there to protect you," he interrupted her. "And I felt guilty because something happened to you, something I thought I could have prevented if I'd been there."

He watched the recognition shine across her face. "But in the dream, you were there... and I still ended up hurt." Jim didn't say she was right, but the way he fidgeted uncomfortably and looked out the window again made it clear she'd hit the nail on the head. "Jim... if you'd been there when it really happened, that doesn't mean I would have made it out completely uninjured."

Jim pounded his fist against the wall in frustration. "I know that! I realized that from the start! But I'd... I'd never thought that if I was there you still could have been injured that badly, or ended up dead or something like that! I'd always thought that if I was around to protect you, then you'd come to the least amount of harm. That dream just..." He shook his head and set to pacing the floor.

Tabitha stood back and watched him, still looking shocked by the confession. "Why... Why didn't you just tell me this?"

"Because I didn't like admitting that the one thing I always try to do might be something I can't do!" he blurted out. "I promised to always keep you safe – hell, it was a part of my vows when we got married - and now I finally realize that maybe I can't do it? It's just…" He sighed to himself and stopped pacing, closing his eyes and shaking his head in aggravation before letting out a slow sigh. "I'm sorry, Tabitha. I've just always felt like it was my job, and I knew that if anything happened, I would try to protect you... and I'd just always believed that if I'd been with you the times you'd been hurt, then you wouldn't have been. It never crossed my mind that maybe me being there wouldn't even matter, that maybe... I wouldn't make any difference at all."

"Of course it would make a difference," she whispered sympathetically. "You always make a difference... If nothing else, I feel safer around you."

"Which is exactly why I didn't want to tell you all this. I didn't want you to start doubting that I could. I want you to feel safe with me."

Tabitha got it - it was a pride thing. He'd never considered there would be a time he wouldn't be able to keep her safe, and when he finally did, he didn't want to admit it to her. It made sense. Tabitha had always known how protective Jim got about her... was it any surprise that he wouldn't want to admit he was losing confidence in himself?

Before she could say anything to him, he sighed and walked over to her, grabbing her hands in his. "I'm so sorry, Tabitha. I never meant for things to get so out of hand. I thought if I could just get you to stay, then you'd never find out that I... wasn't so sure anymore."

She looked down at their hands. "When you said you didn't want to protect me... I thought you meant it was too much work. I-I had no idea it was because you weren't sure you could."

"I know, I know - I shouldn't have... I just..." Unable to complete a full sentence, he closed his eyes so he didn't have to see her looking at him. "This is just a really hard thing for me to admit..."

With his eyes shut, he had no warning for Tabitha flinging her arms around him, and he stumbled back into the wall before regaining his balance and returning the hug as tightly as he possibly could. "I'm sorry," he apologized once again. "I want you to come. I want to be able to believe that you'd be safe. I want to believe that I could protect you… but I love you too much to risk it." He had no idea how long they stayed like that, and he honestly didn't care. He was ready to stay like that for the rest of the night if he could when Tabitha finally spoke up, so quietly he almost thought he'd imagined it.

"I'll stay." Tabitha felt Jim tense a bit in surprise before he slowly pulled back to look at her. He didn't say a word, but the hopeful look he head said it all. She gave him a shaky smile and nodded. "I will… but Jim? Just so you know, y-you've already saved me, more times than you realize. A-And I'm not just talking about times like when you took that shot for me on Lacuna, o-or forked over the map on Treasure Planet because Silver threatened to shoot me… Do you have any idea where I'd be now if you hadn't befriended me on the voyage to Flint's Trove? I don't. I have no idea. If you hadn't offered to let me stay with you, if we hadn't started dating, if you hadn't been there with me at the academy every rocky step of the way, if you hadn't trusted me and cared about me enough to agree to go to Lacuna with me… All you've ever done is save me…" The way Jim looked so awestruck at what she was saying – as if he had no idea he'd ever done any of these things for her – made her let out an awkward laugh through the tears that had suddenly welled up in her eyes. "So now, in a way, I guess I get to save you. I-I know how heartbroken you were when I was hurt on Lacuna, but I had no idea you still felt so bad about it. I-I think it was more traumatizing for you than it was for me – I just got hurt, but you… y-you had to consider the possibility that I… I might not have been in your life anymore - A-And now that you've had that dream, and to see you so… adamant about something like this… I can't. I-I can't risk putting you through another situation like that, not when there was some way for me to prevent it. So I'm going to stay, a-and you'll know I'm safe… and I'll pray that you are too."

When he notices she's really starting to cry, he starts to pull her back into his arms, but she holds up a hand to stop him.

"No, wait – " She rubs her eyes quickly and looks back up at him. "I… I have a surprise for you, I guess."

Well, that certainly wasn't what Jim expected to hear her say. "A surprise? For what?" he asked as he watched her walk over to the dresser and reach into the back of one of her drawers.

"Well, it… it was supposed to be a Christmas present, but… since you won't be here…" She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. Mustering up as convincing a grin as she could, she extracts a small box from beneath her clothes and turns around to hand it to Jim. "Here."

Jim glanced at the small, gift-wrapped package, then glanced back at her, before finally untying the golden ribbon and pulling off the emerald green paper. His brow furrowed as he extracted a few folded pieces of paper and began to unfold them, recognizing them as blueprints of their ship.

"I-I upgraded the engine and the thrusters," she explained. "It can travel almost twice as fast now… It was kind of a splurge, but I thought it would be worth it in the long run, especially for the Dubois's voyage and… well, now you can get home twice as quickly…"

He tore his gaze away from the detailed blueprints and looked up to see her gaze focused on the ground between them. Without hesitation, Jim had placed the box on the bed and wrapped Tabitha in a firm embrace. Her arms laced around his neck tightly as she sobbed into his shoulder.

"Please be careful..." she begged. "I just want you to be safe."

"I will," he gently assured her. "I promise I will."

Tabitha's grip tightened and her voice turned into a whisper... "Come home to me, James. You have to promise to come home to me."

"Always, Tabitha." He held her even tighter, intent on keeping her as close as possible for as long as possible, pressing her face into her hair before whispering, "Always and forever."

* * *

When the day of departure finally arrived the next morning, Tabitha's eyes blinked open to the dim, gray lighting of a cloudy sunrise. For half a moment, she blamed her downcast emotions on the weather, but only until she remembered what today was.

The gentle sound of Jim's breathing made her turn to look at him. He was still fast asleep. She smiled to herself, gulping back tears as she reached out to push his hair out of his face. The backs of her fingers softly brushed against his stubbly cheek before her hand moved down to his arm, gently brushing up and down it, memorizing every muscle and vein. She did the same to his chest, focusing especially on the scar he had left from the shot he'd taken for her back on Lacuna. She was focusing so hard on making mental notes on every detail of him that she didn't notice he was awake until he reached out and grabbed her hand. She started slightly, but quickly settled when his other hand lightly brushed her leg, slowly working his way up from her knee, across her thigh, over her curves, past her shoulder, until he was gently cupping her face. They were just as close as they were when they'd fallen asleep the night before, but this wasn't good enough for Jim. He pulled her against him and she bundled up against his chest to defeat the morning chill.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready?" she asked quietly.

Jim slowly shook his head. "It's early. I've got time."

Tabitha bit her lip, but Jim heard the choked sob that escaped her anyway. He tightened his arms around her, using one to gently pet her hair in an attempt to reassure her. "I'll be fine, Tabitha. I promise."

They stayed like that until the clock eventually chimed 5:30 a.m. Jim kissed Tabitha's forehead and started to move away, but she stopped him with a hand against his chest and a look that silently begged him to stay a little longer. He sighed and repositioned himself next to her yet again, remaining that way for another half an hour.

They didn't speak. Not while they were getting ready, not as they held hands on the walk up to the Benbow, not while they ate breakfast (or rather stared at the food, since neither had much of an appetite). None of the adults commented on the young couples pensive silence, though they all clearly noticed it. In fact, it wasn't until the family gathered on the porch of the inn to say goodbye to Jim and Silver that anyone said much of anything.

"Bye, mom," Jim said as he hugged his mother.

Sarah hugged him back tightly. "Goodbye, Jim. Stay safe."

Tabitha tentatively approached Graham. "Do you still hate me?"

Graham waited until Jim walked over and stood next to her before finally sighing and pulling Tabitha into a friendly hug. "No. I don't hate either of you. But can we all agree that I know what I'm talking about and people should listen to me from now on?"

"You know what you're talking about sometimes," Jim taunted, reaching out for a handshake and pulling Graham into a half-embrace.

Meanwhile, Silver and Tabitha exchanged their own hugs. "Bye, Tabby."

"Goodbye, dad." Tabitha nearly choked on the word.

He let out a short chuckle. "Don't worry 'bout us, lass. We'll be fine."

Tabitha stared at him for a moment before finally turning back to Jim. For a minute, all they did was stare at each other. Then Jim suddenly dropped the bag he had over his shoulder and rushed the couple of steps toward her, grabbing her and holding her like he never would again.

"I promise I'll be back soon," he whispered just loud enough for her to hear.

"I love you, Jim."

Jim pulled back and looked at her, overwrought with a sudden concern that coursed through him... No, he had to come back. He couldn't bear to think otherwise. "I love you, too... Tabitha."

They stepped back slightly, but Jim's hand only fell to hers, intertwining with it for a moment. It seemed like much to short of a time before Silver clapped a hand on Jim's shoulder and handed him the satchel he'd dropped. Jim stared at the bag in his hand for a moment, then looked back up at Tabitha.

"I don't want to go," he blurted out.

"What?" Sarah gasped.

"Jimbo!" Silver said.

Tabitha was the only one who didn't react at all to this statement. She just kept staring at him.

"I don't want to," Jim repeated. "Look, you guys can go without me. Graham, you can be captain, and the rest of you - "

Tabitha shook her head. "Jim, you can't - "

"No! I know it's bad timing, but I just - "

"Jim, stop it," she whispered, taking a step closer to him. "Commodore Aldamae already filled out the paperwork for Silver and you're listed as the captain. If something happens and you aren't on the ship, then everyone's going to be in a lot of trouble."

"Then we'll do it over and postpone the trip a few more days!"

She gave him a sad sort of smile as she reached out to cup his face in her hands. "After everything we went through to plan this trip, I really don't think we should cancel it now. It's something we need to do. Besides, Abigail was right - we do need the practice for when we have a baby." She took a deep breath and nodded, to reassure them both. "Everything's going to be fine. I'll stay here and help Sarah at the inn, and you can go see if Vanessa needs any help on Ciaran. This is just one of those things we've got to get through. We're not going to enjoy it, but we'll be stronger because of it."

Jim chewed on the inside of his lip for a moment before finally releasing a long slow breath. He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Tabitha's lips for a moment, then placed his forehead against hers. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she said quietly. "We're going to be fine."

"I know," he agreed before giving her one final, long, goodbye kiss.

Abigail immediately stepped forward and wrapped her arm around Tabitha's shoulders, squeezing them reassuringly. "Be careful, both of you."

Commodore Aldamae, who was already on the ship, shouted for them to come down. The men nodded and turned to leave. As Jim walked the gravel walkway down to the dock, he debated whether to turn around... but he couldn't. He knew if he did now, he'd never be able to leave her. Once on the ship though, he did turn around and was able to see Tabitha still standing there, leaned against one of the beams located around the edge of the Benbow's front porch. With one last silent prayer, he turned around and began shouting out the orders.

Tabitha watched and waited - as they walked away, as they boarded the ship, as they sailed off into the foggy sky...

"Tabitha?"

She turned to see her mother standing in the doorway. Tabitha blinked as if she'd just been awoken from a dream and laughed lightly. "How long have I been out here?"

"A couple of hours," Abigail smiled. "Would you like to come in for some food? I noticed you didn't eat much this morning."

Tabitha nodded and, sparing one more glance to the now empty horizon, followed Abigail inside.

* * *

**Did you guys even remember the plot and what's been going on? Oh my gosh, guys, I am so sorry for making you wait forever. I don't know how to tell you how sorry. I honestly have no excuse except that I was just never satisfied with this chapter. Even now, there are some parts I'm not totally happy with... but it was finished, and I really couldn't justify making you guys wait any longer.**

**If any of you actually read/review this, I will just... I will love you forever. You guys are die hard fans, and I don't deserve you.**

**-Emily**

**+Responses to Reviews+**

**CMR Rosa: Thanks! You know, I've had a lot of requests for things like that, so I definitely think a chapter involving Jim telling Tabitha about his life before her would be interesting! I'll add it in somewhere! :)**

**23jk: Haha Thanks! Hope you didn't forget about it this time either! This chapter was even longer than the last one, so I hope you liked it! Oh, and happy belated birthday by the way! I thought I was going to have this done by then, and I was going to post it as a birthday surprise... but that didn't happen. That's why I didn't tell you sooner. Thanks! Glad to see people interested in the lemons!**

**iceprincessrules: Thanks! Writers block is hell. I hate it so much. Glad you liked the last chapter, and hopefully this one too! :)**

**NeverTooLate03: OH MY GOSH LOOK. 8 MONTHS LATER - I FINALLY UPDATED. I just fail so hard at this nowadays. Haha I'm glad you don't think I'm a despicable being; hopefully that hasn't changed with me making you wait forever and a day again. Glad to see adding that guy from the honeymoon chapter stumped a couple of people! I was wondering if anyone would remember that. Ah, don't feel bad about forgetting Morph. I forgot B.E.N. in this chapter. _ Thank you for the support as always, Fellow Fangirl! :D**

**anon: Glad you liked it! Haha Lemons are a-go, so don't worry! OD-ing on romance would be a nice way to go, I think! Thanks for your support!**

**Icecreampopstar: I'm so glad you thought the wait was worth it - hopefully it was for this chapter too! Yes, lemons are quite juicy, especially with brownies. ;D Well, there was a lot of Jim and Silver being overprotective here, so I hope you enjoyed it! Love you back! :D**

**StarSpinner1293: I'm so glad everyone likes "Fearless" - I keep having people tell me not to rewrite it. It's more just for my own personal satisfaction, because I know I could make it so much better now. Well, you got your answer - Tabitha's staying home, and yes she will be worried sick about Jim. :/ But all for good reasons in the end! :) Lemons coming up in the next couple of chapters, and I'm so glad you think I write them well! :D Lol Yeah no lemons in the family story. XD Good to know I'd have people on my side if any readers ever tried to pull a mutiny on my story, and don't apologize for long reviews! I love them, and I'm flattered!**

**Tsukasa-kun: Thank you so much! Yes, life does tend to get in the way of my writing of fanfiction quite often. I'm glad you thought Jim was funny, I really wanted him to be! And you shall find out soon whether Tabitha's wishes for a baby will come true... ;D**

**smile: Thank you! I'm glad you like it!**

**EventHorizon6: Wow, thank you so much! I'm so glad you liked the fluffiness of the last chapter - hopefully it made up for the sever lack of it in this one! Aw, I'm glad you like the fluff and the lemons (and don't even worry - I blush the entire time I'm writing lemons xD).**

**Kristy: Definitely more fluff and lemons to come! :) I'm glad you liked the last chapter, and you were right - Tabitha was certainly not too happy about Jim wanting her to stay home. Yeah, I miss Cason and Rylee and Jordan too... I'll try to throw them back in there somewhere. Thank you so much for the reviews and support! :D**

**Crystal-Wolf-Guardian-967: Thanks! Sorry about the wait, but I hope you liked this chapter too! :)**

**SweetAngel183: Everybody wants some lemons! XD Don't worry - you shall have lemons in the next couple of chapters. ;D Ah, well, surprisingly he did manage to keep her from going! Sneaking onto the boat does sound like something Tabitha would do though. XD Thanks for the review!**

**Zutarafan14: Thanks! :)**

**R. S. Willow: Thanks! I know - that would be such an awkward encounter to have with an employer. I'm glad it made you laugh, too! :D**

**emberlies: Oh my gosh, Hi there new fan! Did you just read everything, beginning to end? Wow, thank you very much! Depth and realism is something I definitely want to have with all the characters, so I am SO glad that's coming across! Thank you so so much, and sorry about the wait, but I hope you liked this chapter too!**


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